


Catloaf Conundrums

by ryuusea



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, And a matchmaking catloaf, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, He doesn't even realize it, Idiots in denial, M/M, Pining Levi, Slice of Life, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-14 13:31:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3412427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryuusea/pseuds/ryuusea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of encounters with Eren’s fat cat Colossal and other mishaps bring together neighbors Eren and Levi. </p><p>“It’s hard to say no to him... I mean, look at those eyes!”</p><p>“He’s plotting our demise.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Levi

**Author's Note:**

> My neighbors au a.k.a. the catloaf au was calling out to me today to be put together as a fic. I have only a vague idea of where this is going.
> 
> P.S. It’s 2/22, happy [cat day](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/02/22/japan-is-celebrating-its-27th-annual-cat-day-today-also-known-as-nyan-nyan-nyan-day/)!

"Are you fucking kidding me," Levi hisses, because he is pretty sure he set his morning alarm off last night, since today is Saturday. When he glances at his phone next to his pillow, it glares 7:43 a.m., but it is perfectly silent.

 

That would make sense then, now that Levi is coming out of his groggy, half-awake state, because he is pretty sure his alarm is not set to sound like a crying child. As in, the crying kind of child that moans loudly and lowly, with mouth wide open and _wait a second is that coming from his balcony?_

 

Levi swings himself up off the bed with a string of colorful curses. He grimaces when his toes touch the cold wooden floor. Levi rubs away the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes, rakes a hand through his hair, and stomps over to his balcony sliding door.

 

"Somebody better be dying out here," Levi says between gritted teeth, unlocking and yanking open his sliding door, "Or I swear—"

 

Levi stops short and finds himself staring at a cat yowling on his balcony. And Levi is not dumbfounded about how damn loudly this cat can yowl, because that is pretty fucking loud. No, it is because this has to be the fattest cat Levi has ever seen in his life.

 

The cat is a round orange tabby, who upon Levi’s appearance, continues to meow, but swivels its head around to turn up yellow-green eyes at him. Levi wonders how its stubby little legs even hold it up. Seriously, this cat is the definition of “catloaf.”

 

Levi squats down, sticking out a finger. The cat leans in for a sniff, meows in approval, and waddles closer to Levi. It is then that Levi notices the red collar and tag looped around its practically non-existent neck.

 

Levi crooks out his index finger to snag it.

 

"Colossal," Levi reads aloud and the cat lets out a higher sort of mew, as if responding. "So that’s your name, huh?"

 

_Who the fuck names their cat Colossal. Not that’s it unfitting._

 

Levi flips over the tag and finds a phone number and address. The address, he notes, actually belongs to someone in the same apartment building. He mentally maps out the apartment complex’s layout.

 

"Oh? 3A, that’s right above me."

 

“Mrooowr.”

 

Levi drops the tag and arches his brows at the cat, meeting it’s large eyes.

 

“What, you agreeing with me now?”

 

The cat ducks its head and nuzzles into Levi’s palm.

 

“Why the hell am I talking to a cat,” Levi mutters to himself. He stands and pushes the giant feline into his apartment with a nudge of its foot. First things first though, he needs to get rid of his morning breath and have at least one cup of tea before he deals with another human being.

 

The cat, despite its size, moves around a lot. It is not shy about nosing around Levi’s apartment or rubbing itself up against the furniture. When Levi emerges from his bathroom after brushing his teeth, he spots Colossal just as it waddles away from his black leather sofa, now with an extra decoration of cat hair.

 

It is a good thing he is not allergic to cats.

 

But he is allergic to messes, and Levi cannot wait to attack the cat fur on his furniture with a lint roller later.

 

Better to get this cat back to its owner, and out of his own place, sooner than later, so Levi decides to make a quick breakfast. He throws together a quick plate of scrambled eggs and toast. He does not bother to sit down in his small dining room table and leans against the kitchen counter instead, digging into his food while he waits for his tea kettle to boil.

 

The cat has joined him, staring up at him earnestly. Levi chews around a mouthful of eggs, staring back. The cat turns in a circle and makes a noise in the back of its throat. It attempts to stand on its hind legs, and for a few second it paws at the air up towards Levi, asking for attention and food. That does not last long with its weight, so it plops back down and instead digs its paws into Levi’s feet.

 

“What do you eat, Puss?” Levi is not sure what he is allowed to feed this cat. Then again, this cat looks like it eats everything.

 

Levi grabs a small plate and scoops up a quarter of his eggs into it. He sets the plate down next to Colossal, who is quick to lean down and stuff his face. Levi has never had pets, assuming they all make messes. Yet as he watches the cat push its snout into the eggs, he notes how with every few bites, its tongue darts out to lick at its whiskers, cleaning them off of any stray bits. Levi finishes his breakfast, the cat not too far behind on its own plate. Levi sips a steaming hot cup of his favorite morning blend of black tea just as Colossal is finishing off the last bite of its meal. He watches how the cat licks clean its face and paws afterward. _Huh, cats aren’t so bad._

 

Figuring it would be a quick trip upstairs to drop off the cat and come back downstairs, Levi sets the dishes into his sink to be cleaned when he returns. He changes out of his pajamas and into sweatpants and a black sleeveless shirt, zipping a gray hoodie over it.

 

It does not take a lot to coax the cat into his arms. Levi figures the food made the cat warm up to him.

 

“Seriously, what does your owner feed you?” Levi grunts when he picks up cat. _More like, what does your owner not feed you?_

 

It is only one floor up, but Levi takes the elevator, just in the case the cat in his arms decides it would suddenly like to run off. But with how it has settled its pudgy weight into Levi’s arms, Levi concludes it is not going anywhere.

 

He double checks the apartment number on Colossal's tag, then the apartment number next to the door.

 

_3A_

 

And below it, the name _Jaeger E._ is handwritten in the name plate area.

 

Levi wiggles one arm out from under the heavy pile of cat in his arms to ring the doorbell. As soon as Levi hears the telltale _ding-dong_ echo from through the door, he wraps both arms around Colossal again because it is way too heavy to comfortably support with one arm for more than a minute. Colossal blissfully remains unmoving in Levi’s arms, a warm and purring lump against his chest.

 

A muffled shouting, stomping, and forceful swinging of a door later, Levi finds himself face to face with his neighbor.

 

“COCO!" The frazzled young man before him exclaims. Levi notices his messy brown hair first. Must be bedhead. Or pulling his hair out worrying about his catloaf.

 

"Coco?" Levi repeats and arches a brow.

 

"Coco is short for Colossal—Ah, I’m sorry! How rude of me! I’m Eren! Thank you so much for finding Colossal," The young Mr. Jaeger smiles at Levi, and Levi is not stunned into silence. No, not at all, he is just recovering from the whirlwind created when the boy had yanked open that door.

 

"Colossal, indeed," Levi says. "I’m surprised he didn’t make my balcony collapse."

 

Eren Jaeger laughs. It comes out in sharp bursts, matching the rapid-fire way he had just been talking.

 

"Oh, you live in this building as well?" Eren asks, smile still wide and bright.

 

"Mm," Levi nods. "Right below you, in fact."

 

"Wow, I wonder how he even climbed down there without hurting himself!" Eren exclaims. Amusement lights up his already glowing green eyes. "Well, I guess it’s better he ended up on your balcony than wandering the streets."

 

“Mrooowr.”

 

Both Eren and Levi look down to see that Colossal staring up at them both, perking up at the sound of its owner’s voice.

 

"Come on Coco, let’s go back inside. I’m sure you’ve been enough of a nuisance this morning."

 

Levi shifts his arms, rolling one shoulder and thinking how relieved he will be hand to over this cat. He may work out, but even he does not lift weights this early in the day. Levi wriggles his arms, trying to find the best way to hold Colossal in order to hand him over. The cat’s tail starts swishing back and forth, but it otherwise does nothing to help.

 

Eren reaches out with both arms, cooing, “Coco, come on boy.”

 

Eren gets his hands and his arms partially around the catloaf. Levi begins to loosen his grip. The next thing the pair knows, something within Colossal snaps and the cat yowls and violently squirms and twists out and away from Eren’s arms, pouncing forward and—

 

"Motherfu—OW!” Levi shouts as soon as Colossal’s claws sink into his forearms. In the scramble of waving arms and cat attempting to heave itself up and back into Levi’s arms, Levi hugs the cat to himself again. If anything, just to fight the pain of those claws digging in even deeper to fight the pull of gravity.

 

"Oh, god—So sorry! He can get attached to people really fast—Ugh, Colossal, bad kitty!" Eren scolds between apologies, only to cut himself off with a sharp gasp and stare wide-eyed at Levi’s arms.

 

"You’re bleeding!"

 

And that is how Levi found himself grabbed by the elbow and dragged into the apartment of a neighbor he had just met.

 

(Quite a cute neighbor, but Levi’s brain does not process that fully, too busy screaming: _OW. FUCK. FUCK. HURTS. MUST DISINFECT. ASAP_.)

 

Levi ends up on his neighbor’s beat up couch, with scratched up arms from a criminal catloaf. And said catloaf decides it would oh-so-innocently occupy his lap, as if it had done no wrong. Well, at least his lap is warm.

 

Eren had apologized for how cold his apartment is, explaining, “I’m a broke college student, so I gotta keep the bill low,” before he disappeared into his kitchen.

 

Levi hears the opening and slamming of cabinets, and then Eren is scurrying back to him, a box of band-aids in one hand.

 

"I’m so sorry for Colossal scratching you up," Eren sighs. He glances at the lump purring in Levi’s lap.

 

"May I?" Eren asks, reaching out for Levi’s right arm. Levi raises the arm and pushes back the sleeve himself.

 

"Ah, sorry about your shirt too," Eren says, noticing the claw-punctured holes in Levi’s sleeve. Eren opens up the box of bandaids, pulling out one and reaching out for Levi’s wrist. Before he can do so though, Levi frowns and snatches his arm back.

 

"Don’t just stick band-aids on me without disinfecting anything!" Levi admonishes, glaring at the offending band-aid, which happens to be an awful neon pink.

 

"Ah, you’re right," Eren says. "Hmm, I’m pretty sure my mom left me some hydrogen peroxide somewhere."

 

Levi should have figured, as he lets his eyes scan disapprovingly over the living room. Clothes strewn about carelessly, books piled up everywhere, crumpled up papers and chocolate wrappers that had missed the trash can. Levi clicks his tongue and gently pushes the cat off his lap.

 

"Mrrrraow," Colossal protests, but plops down to the floor. He swishes his tail in disapproval, then trots off towards the kitchen. Levi sighs and follows, Eren on his heels.

 

"Might as well help you find it."

 

They rummage through nearly all the cabinets and shove aside numerous dusty, unused dishes aside. Finally, Eren and Levi discover a standard black bottle of hydrogen peroxide next to a tub of peanut butter.

 

Eren is more excited about the latter, only to groan when he realizes it had expired seven months ago. Thankfully, that is not the case for the disinfectant.

 

Eren stands hesitantly behind Levi, clutching the hydrogen in both hands, while Levi washes his arm at the sink. Levi has to bite his tongue, doing his best to not glare at the unwashed plates and a very black banana peel in the sink.

 

Once finished thoroughly soaping and rinsing off his arm, Levi takes the hydrogen peroxide from Eren and applies some to the red scratches up his forearm. He orders Eren to wash his hands, watching him to make sure he does it properly, then has the boy help him stick some band-aids on.

 

Eren applies the last band-aid just below Levi’s elbow, and looks at him when finished.

 

Levi flicks his gaze away as soon as their eyes meet, inspecting the blindingly bright pink band-aids.

 

“That’ll do for now,” He mutters.

 

Eren clears his throat. “So, uh, since you’re here, would you like some coffee? Tea? Juice?”

 

"No," Levi replies. That came out quicker and harsher than he intended, and he internally face palms.

 

"I don’t know how clean your dishes are, or if you even have any that are clean right now," Levi says, searching for a way to soften his words — And quick — For he notices how Eren seems to deflate a little, though he smiles sheepishly.

 

"Um, uh, what if you bring a cup from your place?!" Eren hastily suggests, "Okay, that’s kinda dumb—"

 

"And would still require me sitting in your filthy apartment," Levi adds.

 

He rolls up his sleeves.

 

"Guess it can’t be helped."

 

Two hours later, Levi thinks he must be crazy to offer to help clean his neighbor’s apartment, when they had only just met this morning. He could be doing better things on Sunday. Like cleaning his _own_ apartment.

 

Eren follows all of Levi's orders, and soon enough, the pair get the apartment dust-free and practically glistening.

 

Levi tells himself that the assorted pile of tea he noticed Eren sorting out earlier in the kitchen would be worth it.

 

"I don’t have anything to offer you to eat. Honestly, most of the time I have more tea and coffee here than actual food," Eren explains with a chuckle.

 

"That’s fine," Levi mutters, wiping off the last bit of cat hair on the couch. Colossal hops onto it soon after, mewling loudly.

 

"Oi, I just cleaned there, Puss," Levi says.

 

"His name isn’t ‘Puss!’ It’s Colossal. Or Coco. God, don’t confuse him.”

 

Levi meets the cat’s huge eyes.

 

"Puss."

 

“Mrrrowr.”

 

"See, he understands."

 

"Since when do you speak cat?!" Eren demands, walking into the living room, carefully balancing two steaming mugs, one with black tea and the other with coffee.

 

 _Since this morning_. Levi grimaces. Oh god, no, he does not want to become a crazy cat person.

 

Levi takes the proffered cup of tea from Eren, sinking down into the couch. He emits a long exhale, content at the heat seeping out from the white porcelain and into his hands. He feels at ease, comforted by the orange scent of cleaning supplies and the knowledge that the seat he is in is wiped down.

 

Eren settles in beside him at an arms-length away. Colossal stalks around the living room, sniffing around. The new, clean state has added many new smells for him.

 

"Wow, I’ve never seen my floor not covered in things since I moved in," Eren says, clutching his cup close to his face.

 

"Oh? And how long ago was that?" Levi asks.

 

"A year ago," Eren replies. "I’m in my last year at T.U."

 

"You go to Trost University?" Levi says. "Wouldn’t it be easier if you lived a bit closer?" Levi has lived most of his adult life in Trost, one reason being the lower rent in the area, since landlords cater to college kids in the area. This apartment is a little farther out than most of those kids bother to go though, and Levi had picked it for that reason. It sits on the borderline of cheap apartments, but without the threat of college house parties and inebriated idiots.

 

Eren shrugs. “It’s only a twenty minute bus ride. I lived in the dorms my first two years, met a lot of great people, but it’s way too expensive to live there. It’s much cheaper living in this apartment than any place closer to campus.”

 

Levi nods. It is not like they are far from the downtown either and the buses come frequently enough due to that.

 

Levi’s attention is drawn away when Colossal comes up to him, starting to rub his side against Levi’s feet. Cat hairs catch onto Levi’s socks and sweatpants. For a moment, it is quiet, the room filled with nothing but Colossal’s loud purring.

 

Eren laughs. “He really has taken to you. Look at him, he’s already marking you.”

 

Levi blinks, looking up at Eren. “What?”

 

Eren snickers, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

 

"You mean you don’t know? When cats rub against you, they’re marking you with their scent. He’s basically claiming you as his."

 

Levi snorts and mumbles out an excuse about never having a pet because they shed and shit everywhere. He covers up his face by taking a long sip of his tea. His cheeks feel warm from the steam.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It is only Tuesday, and already Levi wants this week to be done when he unlocks his door and steps into his apartment after a long day of work. He removes his coat and hangs it up, going to his bedroom to change into a t-shirt and shorts, his stomach grumbling and wanting to be fed before showering. Levi is ready to give in anyway, thinking of the pork chops he had thrown in the fridge last night, left to marinate in a bath of spices and sauce. He had skipped lunch today, absorbed with work, and had not noticed his hunger until the end of the day rolled around and people started clocking out.

 

The delicious smell of spices fill the kitchen air when he starts cooking and Levi is thankful that this recipe is quick and easy. He had just popped the pork into the oven when he heard it.

 

A faint scratching sound.

 

“Meeeeow.”

 

“Are you kidding me, there’s no way...” Levi strides into his living room, trailing off as soon as he sees the round figure at his balcony sliding door. He had opened the glass door to air out his apartment while he cooked, but kept the screen closed in order to not let anything in… But it had not deterred this creature.

 

Colossal rises up, meowing to be let in.

 

“No,” Levi says.

 

Colossal stands up on its hind legs and presses its paws against the screen door.

 

“ _No_ ,” Levi hisses as soon as claws sink into the screen door and start tearing, and he hastily slides the door open, the cat striding in as if it owned the place.

 

“No,” Levi repeats to no avail. “No, get back here.”

 

Grumbling to himself, Levi stalks after Colossal, who saunters into the kitchen, knowing exactly where the scent of food is coming from.

 

Levi has to wrestle with Colossal (“The pork’s not even done, damn it, go back to your owner.”), distracts him with a piece of offered food, to coax him back into his arms to trek back upstairs again.

 

Eren opens the door, cup ramen in one hand.

 

“Coco, you got out again?!” Eren says.

 

Eren turns to set down his cup ramen on a shelf near the door. He reaches out for Colossal, this time leaning in closer to Levi in order to avoid the fiasco from last time.

 

“Sorry again,” Eren apologizes, wrapping his arms around Colossal’s middle. “I leave my balcony open when I’m home so he can get some fresh air -- Wow, dude, you smell good!” Eren pulls back and Levi eyes him oddly.

 

“What,” Levi spits out, because _what the fuck, where did that come from? And did this kid just call me 'dude.'_ Eren hoists Colossal into his arms, cradling him like one would a baby.

 

“I mean, whatever you’re cooking smells good, I can smell it on you. That must’ve been it. Colossal followed his nose down to your place.”

 

Levi snorts. “He really does eat anything, doesn’t he? What the hell do you feed him?”

 

“Cat food, usually, but…” Eren smiles guiltily, “It’s hard to say no to him when I’m eating and he looks at me, and I mean, look at those eyes!”

 

Levi looks down into Colossal’s round, pale green eyes.

 

“He’s got you wrapped around his finger, I mean… Paw?” Levi says. “He’s plotting our demise.”

 

Eren chuckles. “I think you understand cats more than you think.”

 

Eren gives Levi another polite apology and thank you, Levi shrugging it off.

 

“Guess I’ll see you around, neighbor!” Eren calls after Levi, walking down the hallway. Levi waves over his shoulder, before he turns the corner to take the stairs back down.

 

 

* * *

 

  
Despite being neighbors, the two did not bump into each other nearly as much as one would expect. Perhaps it is Eren’s erratic class scheduling, combined with Levi’s nine-to-five work schedule and how he goes home straight without fail, going out on weekends only when he really needs to. Levi’s mind is preoccupied with work anyway, and Eren with upcoming exams. Levi only on occasion finds himself wondering if that catloaf has snuck out again.

 

Then, two weeks later, Levi is standing out on his balcony and something flutters down, landing at his feet.

 

A pair of blue boxer briefs.

  
Levi hears Eren’s cursing from above seconds later. 


	2. Eren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated much later than I expected, but I've been dealing with a big moving change and did a little bit of traveling. It went through a few changes, but here it finally is!

“Shit! No! Goddamnit!”

 

Eren curses, lurching forward and his chest slams into his balcony. He reaches out, hands swiping furiously, but his underwear flutters down before he can catch it.

 

This is why it sucks not having a dryer. One, he is really shitty at remembering to take out his clothes from the washing machine when it finishes. Two, he is even worse at remembering to take his laundry back inside after it has been hanging out to dry on the self-made clothesline on his balcony. He usually does not remember late into the night, much like tonight, but at least it is not raining. And lastly, Eren has a bad habit of spacing out when he gathers his laundry, especially on clear evenings like this when he cannot help but stare at the scenery of glowing city lights (They have replaced the stars, which he could see in his smaller hometown). And just his luck that tonight, while spacing out, one piece of underwear had slipped from his attention and out of his fingertips.

 

By some crazy miracle, Eren’s underwear floats down to the balcony just below his, and not all the way down to the sidewalk three floors down. Eren sighs in relief. At least he knows this neighbor. He turns back around, crossing through the sliding room and back into his bedroom.

 

What was his name again? _Levi_. Ah, yes, that was his name. Eren smiles to himself when he thinks of how Colossal easily warmed up to the older man. Eren pauses, smile slipping a bit. Then again, he does not want to be a bother again. It is already this late anyway, the man probably has work the next day and Eren would not want to disturb him.

 

Eren spins back around and out onto his balcony again. He would just climb down and quickly and quietly pick up his underwear, and head right back up as if nothing happened! Yeah, that would be best, Eren thinks, carefully swinging his legs over his balcony (and maybe for a moment, he pretends he is Spiderman).

 

The climb down was easier than Eren expected, and before he knows it, he is hopping down onto the second floor balcony.

 

Eren straightens up, inhaling deeply to catch his breath. And gasps in surprise, nearly choking.

 

Because there Levi stands. And he has Eren’s underwear, delicately held between a forefinger and thumb.

 

“Wh-What are you doing here?!” Eren blurts out, not even thinking.

 

If Levi’s already ‘what the hell’ expression could get even dryer, it did at that moment.

 

“I _live_ here. Shouldn’t I be saying that? You’re the one climbing into people’s balconies.”

 

“I-I, okay, I’m sorry, this is all a weird misunderstanding. I just wanted to get my underwear without bothering you, like if you were busy, or if you were already sleeping…” Eren emits a nervous laugh.

 

“So you thought it would be easier to scale a wall rather than just ring a doorbell,” Levi says.

 

Eren is not sure if Levi was asking him or if that was a rhetorical question.

 

“Um. Yes?” Eren grins, hoping to break the awkward, stiff atmosphere. “So, uh, can I have my underwear back?”

 

Levi flicks his gaze to the blue boxer briefs held gingerly between the very tips of his fingers. He extends his arms out to Eren as if it is diseased.

 

Eren frowns. “It’s clean, you know!”

 

“Not anymore,” Levi replies. “It fell. Outside.”

 

Eren blinks.

 

“It rained a week ago," Levi adds.

 

Eren blinks again.

 

“Meaning the balcony got wet. And who knows how much dirt has settled since then. Please don’t tell me you’d wear this without washing it first.”

 

Eren grabs the underwear, deciding not to answer that.

 

“Oh, and don’t climb back up from my balcony. You’re going out through my front door. I don’t want to be accused of murder if you fucking fall down.”

 

This somehow forces a laugh out of Eren. He stuffs his underwear into one of his jeans’ back pockets and steps forward to follow after the other man.

 

Levi removes slippers he had been wearing on the balcony and steps into the apartment. He whips around just in time before Eren follows after him, stopping the younger boy by shoving his hand out.

 

“Don’t step in here with your…” Levi trails off, one corner of his mouth twitching. “Socks?”

 

“What? It’s annoying to put on shoes just to get my laundry from my balcony.”

 

“Take those socks off and just get in here already.”

 

“The floor is cold!” Eren whines.

 

Levi stares him down.

 

“Oh, I know! What if you give me a piggy back ride from here to the front door!”

 

Levi’s eyes narrow.

 

“Um, just kidding,” Eren promptly replies and quickly sheds his red and white polka dot socks and tiptoes into Levi’s apartment.

 

Eren’s jaw drops as he gazes around the apartment living room, because how is this the same apartment complex?! Sure, the layout is exactly the same as Eren’s, and the walls are the same shabby off-white, but Levi’s apartment is impeccably clean. The furniture, while not all entirely new-looking, are spotless, and at least do not look second hand like all of Eren’s. Also, compared to Eren’s place, where he has two couches for friends to crash (usually covered in books, papers, and clothes), Levi’s living room has a more solitary look, with only a desk and dining table, and a two-seater couch in front of a television.

 

Eren's attention zeroes in on a sole white shirt draped over the arm of the couch. There are thinly torn lines down one of the sleeves. Eren steps closer and recognizes it as the shirt Levi had been wearing when they first met on Eren's doorstep.

 

"Ah, I'm so sorry about your shirt," Eren says. He picks up the edge of the sleeve to take a closer look. A glance at the coffee table, where Eren spots a spool of white thread and a case of needles, confirms that the older man had made an attempt to repair the torn shirt. The loose and wayward sewing job up the sleeve shows it had not been a successful one.

 

"It's one shirt," Levi responds.

 

Eren raises his head and turns to see Levi leaning against his kitchen bar that separates the kitchen and living room, back against it and elbows propped up.

 

"How about your arms?" Eren inquires, walking over to Levi.

 

"What?" Levi says. He stiffens, taken aback by Eren suddenly in his space, but Eren does not notice. Levi's sleeves are already rolled up, and Eren catches Levi's left wrist, lifting it up and rotating Levi's arm left and right. There are pink scratches up Levi's pale arms, but they are already nearly faded away.

 

"I'm fine," Levi says quickly, yanking his arm back and snapping it tightly back to his side.

 

Eren blinks questioningly at Levi's sudden stiffness, but thinks nothing of it. Their eyes meet and Eren simply smiles, but then the boy is out of Levi's space as quickly as he had invaded it. Eren sniffs the air and peers around Levi into the kitchen.

 

"What did you cook? Smells great."

 

"It's only a chicken rice stew." Levi says.

 

"Still better than anything I can do," Eren pipes up. "Anyway, so I see you suck at sewing."

 

"Hey."

 

"So how about I repair your shirt and you feed me?"

 

Levi raises his brows at Eren's offer.

 

"You know how to sew?"

 

Eren chuckles and pulls away from Levi.

 

"I had a bad habit of tearing my clothes a lot as a kid."

 

"Oh?"

 

Eren has already walked backwards and returned to the couch.

 

"So can I? I can do it real quick, too." Eren asks. A beat of silence passes and he flicks his head back in the direction of the kitchen, seeking out approval. Levi is still standing in his spot against the counter, the only change in countenance is the slight tilt of his head to the side. The older man's expression is thoughtful as he stares back at Eren.

 

Levi finally heaves himself off the counter and pads around the bar and into the kitchen. A second later, he calls over his shoulder, "Should be ready in about ten minutes."

 

Eren plops himself onto the couch and gets to work.

 

\--

 

"Y'know, most people would just throw the shirt away and buy a new one," Eren says around a mouthful of stewed chicken and vegetables.

 

"That would be wasteful," Levi replies.

 

"Hmm, true. I get that, being a broke college kid," Eren says.

 

"So what was this about clothes ripping?" Levi asks.

 

"Mmn?"

 

"Why were you ripping off your clothes as a kid."

 

Eren bites down on his bottom lip, holding back a laugh.

 

"I liked comic books growing up and had a Hulk obsession at one point, so I often pretended to transform and tried ripping open my shirts when playing. My mom got fed up with it and taught me how to sew to repair my clothes myself."

 

Levi stares at Eren for a second longer, breaking it only to take another spoonful of stew.

 

"Anyway, so how's Puss?"

 

Eren frowns.

 

"Colossal, not Puss. And he--Oh shit!" Eren abruptly stands, his chair screeching back. "I haven't fed him yet!"

 

Eren shoves a huge spoonful in his mouth, mumbling out what sounds like, "Thanks for the food!" Then he is hopping from one foot to the other to get his socks back on, and is darting towards the front door.

 

"The food was great, Levi!" Eren flashes a smile over his shoulder, bouldering into the front door in his rush.

 

"Oi," Levi stands, because the boy seriously looked like he was about to fall on his face with the force with which he had opened the door.

 

"Coco!" Eren gasps, freezing at the doorway.

 

Levi makes his way to the front door to join Eren's side, and sure enough, the giant blob of a cat is there.

 

"Meow!" Colossal stares up at them with its huge round eyes.

 

"Aw! You must've followed me down!" Eren croons, "Eren's sorry and will get your food right now!"

 

"Gross, you're talking to the Puss in third person," Levi says, but the boy is too busy making cooing noises and kissy faces at the rotund cat.

 

Colossal mews again, but then he sidesteps Eren's outstretched hands and trots into Levi's apartment.

 

Eren looks up at Levi, all surprised and round-eyed himself like his cat. "Wow, he really likes you."

 

"Yeah, well I don't like him right now because he just walked in like he owns the place."

 

"He probably smelled your food and wants some. He does seem to have a nose for quality food."

 

"Mrooowroooowr!"

 

Levi and Eren look up at the loud cat yowl, just in time to see Colossal sink his claws into one of the legs of the chair Eren had previously been sitting in.

 

"Don't scratch up my furniture! What the hell!" Levi growls, striding over.

 

"I'm so sorry!" Eren sputters, rushing over to stop Colossal.

 

Colossal stops as soon as they are next to him, all innocent and bright-eyed.

 

"It's my leftover food, he probably wants it," Eren explains. "But he can't jump onto a chair that high."

 

Levi shoots Eren an exasperated look.

 

Eren grins.

 

"...Because he's so fat."

 

Colossal meows again and rises onto his hind legs, expectantly waiting for Eren to pick hm up and bring him to the food.

 

"It would be a waste to not eat it..." Levi says. "Fine, just this one time."

 

 

* * *

 

 

It did not end up as a one time thing.

 

"I should have known," Levi says the next day, when Eren is at his doorstep again, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Colossal had decided he would yowl and screech and scratch at Levi's front door until Levi could not tolerate the noise anymore and let the cat in.

 

Then two days later, Levi rings Eren's doorbell, a happily purring Colossal in his arms. Colossal had climbed down to Levi's balcony again.

 

The third time, Eren notices Colossal missing from his apartment first and comes downstairs to see if he is at Levi's again.

 

"I'm so sorry," Eren apologizes for the umpteenth time.

 

Levi waves it off with a sigh. "I'm just glad he doesn't shit everywhere."

 

"Well, he is a cat," Eren explains. "He refuses to go unless he's in his litter box."

 

"Oh?" Levi says.

 

Colossal begins licking a paw and rubbing his snout to wash it (after some delicious scraps of chicken thanks to Levi), as if to prove his cleanliness even more.

 

"So, um..." Eren ducks his head and rubs the back of his head. He hesitantly peeks up at Levi.

 

Levi looks at him expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

 

"Uh, so can I have your number?" Eren asks.

 

"Huh?" Levi blurts out.

 

"I, well, um, was thinking that it would be easier that way, like if I can't find Coco, I can just text you, or if you find him and he's in your way, you can contact me..."

 

Levi sighs.

 

"Yes. Yes, of course, that makes sense."

  


 

* * *

 

 

**To: Levi (Neighbor)**

 

_uh sorry to bother u levi..._

**_Yes, he's here._ **

_ok thanks ill be down in 5mins_

 

Eren really did not think this would become such a regular thing, but it did. He could have done more to keep Colossal from escaping, but Eren likes to let him have his freedom and fresh air, so he often leaves the balcony sliding door or a window ajar. And maybe, he had a hopeful idea that it would make Colossal exercise and lose some weight. But the farthest Colossal ever bothers to venture was to Levi's floor.

 

Eren's messages always started out with a "sorry," but after a few weeks, he no longer included it. With how straightforward Levi's replies were, it felt unnecessary.

 

**From: Levi**

**_Puss is here._ **

_thanks i'm coming!!!_

**_It's fine. By the way, since he's already stolen some of my fish, you might as well join us._ **

 

Eren grins widely. Levi's indirect invitations were becoming more common too. And free food? What college kid says no to that? He thumbs out a quick "ok!" in reply before checking that his socks are clean, and making sure to put on shoes before running out the door.

 

 

* * *

  


"You brought your own cup," Levi observes one day.

 

"Oh, well I'm always mooching off of you and you have to wash an extra set of dishes after me, so I figured..." Eren trails off, unsure of how to continue his explanation. It is sufficient enough for Levi though, who takes Eren's cup and pours him some freshly brewed tea.

 

"Also," Eren pauses and rubs the back of his neck, a habit of his when he feels shy or hesitant, that he never quite shook off since he was a kid. "Would you mind if I studied here tonight while eating dinner? I have a huge exam in two days, so..."

 

"It's fine," Levi says without pause.

 

And so the pair settle in at Levi's dining table, surrounded by books and food. Colossal joins them as a nice foot warmer for Levi.

 

Levi reads a book and lets Eren study as long as he pleases, only calling it a night once Eren begins nodding off a little after midnight.

 

Eren yawns and cracks his back and neck, having remained hunched over his books and notebooks for hours.

 

"Thanks again, Levi."

 

"Mm," Levi hums out in reply and gently nudges Colossal off his feet, in order to stand up and clean up the teapot and cups. Colossal does not make a noise, simply turns over, tummy exposed.

 

"I'll bring dessert next time," Eren says with a laugh.

 

Levi looks up, halting in his picking up of the dishes.

 

"Oh," Eren breathes out, realizing that he had just invited himself over. "I-I mean, only if you don't mind. I thought this was nice, like I think I concentrate more on studying with your company. I don't even know if you like sweets or--"

 

"That would be nice, Eren," Levi says softly.

 

Colossal seems to agree with how he twines himself around Levi's legs.

 

"Quit it Puss, I need to wash the dishes."

 

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later, Eren contacts Levi for an entirely different reason.

 

Eren groans. He cannot believe this.

 

He twists on the faucet again, testing the water for the third time.

 

Ice cold water still hits his skin even after five minutes, making Eren whimper and immediately shut it off. Shivering, he drags himself to the living room to grab his phone.

 

**To: Levi**

_hi levi_

**_He's not here._ **

_oh i know he's here with me_

 

Eren chews on his bottom lip, curling into himself and slouching into the couch. He absently reaches out to rub Colossal's head.

 

A minute passes, and Eren takes it as a sign that Levi is waiting for the next message that would explain why Eren is texting him, for a reason other than the catloaf beside him.

 

_so my water heater broke and im sorry but would you mind if i use your shower until it's fixed??!_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of this chapter's inspiration came from the time my own water heater did break around the start of winter 2 years ago and I did use my co-worker/neighbor's shower for 3 days, haha.


	3. Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The water heater is still broken. 
> 
> Little bits of Eren's life worm their way into Levi's, whether he realizes it or not.

The kettle whistles. Levi pushes his hip off the counter to reach over and shut off the stove. His hands move out of habit more than anything, measuring out even scoops of oolong tea into the individualized tea strainer to make one cup for himself. His post-dinner ritual always involves showering (if he did not already do so before dinner), then a steaming cup of tea with a good book or a late night show for an hour or so before going to bed.

 

He hears the shower water shut off. He looks up from the tea he had been watching steep. Watching the curls of steam and the swirls of darkening of water had always been therapeutic for him.

 

Eren’s cup. Where had he placed it again? Levi turns to look at the kitchen bar, where he had been placing Eren’s cup since he started coming over. Not there.

 

Ah, that’s right, Levi remembers. He turns back around to the kitchen cabinet where he stores all his cups and drinking glasses. He had moved it there since yesterday, two days after Eren started coming over to borrow his shower. It made sense, of course. If the kid was going to leave his own cup here, Levi would not want to leave it out to get dusty.

 

Five minutes had already passed and Levi’s tea had finished steeping, so he proceeds to make a cup for Eren. He brings the still steeping tea and his own cup over to the living room, where Colossal is already seated on the couch, legs tucked in and looking even rounder.

 

Levi’s couch is a small two-seater, so he sits on the unoccupied side and carefully sets the two cups down on the coffee table in front of him. Colossal’s ears flick in the direction of the cups when they _clink_ down and then he turns his head up to Levi.

 

Levi caves. By the time Eren comes out into the living room, fresh out of the shower, Levi is scratching under Colossal’s chin with one hand while sipping his tea with the other.

 

Levi throws his arm over the back of the sofa and turns his head, simply stating, “Tea.”

 

“Oh,” Eren smiles softly. “Thank you.”

 

The boy is just toweling off his hair, the brown locks sticking out in every direction. Levi surveys Eren’s attire quickly -- Trost University hoodie, gray shorts and black striped socks that end just below his knees -- And then he is jerking back around again, focus shifting back to Colossal and his tea.

 

Eren walks around the couch. Colossal looks up at Eren, but does not move. Levi expects Eren would pick up Colossal and move him elsewhere.

 

He does not expect Eren to step into the gap between the feline and him, nudging and coaxing the cat aside. Levi gets a strong whiff of his shampoo on Eren’s hair, which is still damp, making it look a much darker, chocolate brown.

 

Finally having coerced the cat to scoot over towards the arm of the chair, Eren sighs with content and drops into the seat. He grabs the mug of tea and folds his legs into his chest as he settles back.

 

Now, Levi’s couch is not big. He does not have company over often, so he never saw the need to have one that would fit more than two people. It could comfortably accommodate one person if he ever has someone sleep over for the night. So with Eren giving Colossal ample room, that means they are nearly shoulder to shoulder. And Levi can smell the water and soap on Eren, and what the hell, does it feel slightly humid after Eren joined him? Like does the kid naturally emit steam, or had he just dragged some of the humidity from the shower in his wake?

 

Levi wonders how to break this silence and is about to reach for the television remote, but Eren speaks up first.

 

“Ah, I used some of your shampoo, sorry. I forgot to bring mine down with me today,” Eren says.

 

Levi shakes his head and opens his mouth to reassure him that it is fine.

 

“No! You’re already letting me use your shower,” Eren insists. He pauses to nurse his tea. “Oh, yeah. Speaking of which…”

 

Eren unfolds his limbs and lifts himself from the couch. Levi zeroes in on the tea in his hand. Eren grips the handle tightly, keeping it steady. He reaches over to the side of the coffee table, where he had placed his backpack and a duffle bag that he keeps his change of clothes in.

 

Eren pulls out one blue and white Tupperware. He digs around a little more in the bag until he procures a long white envelope. He sets the Tupperware down and the envelope on top of it, and then slides it over the coffee table in Levi’s direction.

 

“Here’s some money for the water bill. And cookies.”

 

Levi leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and sets his tea down on the coffee table.

 

“Cookies?” He removes the envelope from atop it, briefly peeks in to it to confirm the bills inside, then pops open the Tupperware. Inside are chocolate chip cookies that look soft and moist.

 

“What for?” Levi asks. The money, he understands. They had made a deal that Eren would contribute a little to help him out with his water bill.

 

Eren cracks a smile.

 

“Don’t you remember? I said I’d bring dessert next time. Since I’m always mooching food off of you.”

 

That’s right. Levi recalls that conversation now. He grabs one of the cookies and breaks it in half. Except “break” is not the appropriate word for it. It is so soft that it pulls apart slowly in a scrumptious and mouth-watering way. Levi hands the other half to Eren, stating he is not used to eating sweets this late at night, so he will only eat half.

 

“You sure?” Eren asks, but takes the proffered half anyway and heartily takes a big bite.

 

Levi nods. He takes a bite.

 

Okay, so it might be difficult not to indulge in a second cookie. Because not only was the cookie soft, it was that perfect level of sweetness where it did not taste like sugar, but hints at it. The chocolate chips are bittersweet, giving a nice contrast. And Levi likes the way his teeth sink into the cookie, soft and doughy in the middle, but with a crispiness and chewiness to the outer edges.

 

Levi finishes off the cookie before he knows it, and when he looks up again, Eren is looming into his personal space. Seriously, had he no sense of his own bubble and another person’s?

 

“How is it? Is it okay?” Eren quickly asks.

 

Levi licks his lips.

 

“Yeah,” Levi clears his throat. “I mean, yeah, good.”

 

Eren heaves a sigh of relief and slumps back.

 

“Oh, great! I’ve been out of practice for a while and I promised my sister I would help her make some for a bake sale.”

 

“Sister, hmm?” Levi asks. He savors the lingering sweetness of the cookie on his tongue one last time before picking up his tea again.

 

"Yeah, she's coming over for the weekend, so I'm glad my water heater will be replaced by then." Eren explains. Levi can hear his fondness for his sister in his voice.

 

"The water guy’s coming on Friday before my afternoon classes," Eren continues. "Finally. About time."

 

"Hmm, that so," Levi hums over the rim of his teacup.

 

Eren chuckles, "So you'll only have to bear with me and Colossal for one more night."

 

Levi says nothing to that and only nods his head. Eren grabs his backpack and starts to pull out books, notebooks and a laptop. He places them on the coffee table before sliding off the couch to sit down on the floor space between the couch and the coffee table. He hunches over to get down to studying.

 

Levi gulps down the last bit of his tea. He stands up to return it to the kitchen counter.

 

"Leave your cup next to mine, I'll wash them when you're finished," Levi calls over to Eren, who hollers back an "okay" and raises one arm to wave it to indicate that he had heard him.

 

Levi leaves to brush his teeth. He retreats into his bedroom to read for a while, and by the time he looks up again from his bed, it is nearly one in the morning.

 

When he walks into the living room, he does not see Eren’s messy head of hair sticking up from behind the back of the couch.

 

“Eren?” Levi calls softly.

 

A soft, “Hmm?” drifts over, low and laced with sleep, cracking off in the end.

 

Levi circles the couch to find Eren lying on his back, books and laptop closed, clearly done for the night. Colossal is sitting on Eren’s stomach, contentedly purring while Eren pets strokes his head.

 

Eren tilts his head back, looking up at Levi from upside down.

 

“I’ll go soon. Just, it’s hard to want to get up when he’s like this.”

 

Levi exhales in amusement and quips, “I’m sure, what with his weight.”

 

Eren laughs, his voice dry.

 

“I’m used to it. I don’t mind being pinned down on the floor like this, so—ah…” Eren catches himself and makes something between a cough and a laugh, trailing off, and when he bites down on his bottom lip, Levi darts his gaze aside.

 

That had not been on purpose, right? No way, Levi mentally insists to himself, because when he looks up again, Eren is sitting up with the cat cradled in his arms, as if nothing had passed.

 

Eren scratches the back of his head, pats Colossal on the butt to get to move off of him, and starts to pack up his books. Levi waits in silence, thinking how he could distract himself by washing their mugs, but he always escorts Eren out to the door. So he waits. Levi is always about routine, after all.

 

Levi sees him off at the door, leaning against the frame.

 

“See you tomorrow, then, Levi,” Eren says with his usual smile. Yeah, it really was nothing, he was just imagining things, Levi thinks to himself.

 

Levi nods. He reaches out, dropping his hand to scratch the top of Colossal’s head. Colossal closes his eyes, only opening them again to stare when Levi retracts his hand. The cat's round, yellow-green eyes ogle up at Levi, as if asking why he stopped.

 

When he looks up, Eren is staring at his face. Levi blinks, but then Eren only smiles again and murmurs, “Good night.”

 

* * *

 

Eren always arrives around six thirty, and Levi is just loosening his tie, when the doorbell rings. He checks his silver watch, which reads just four minutes after six thirty. He loosens his collar and undoes the first two buttons. Then the doorbell starts ringing insistently, something Eren also always does. Levi rolls his eyes and opens the door, to see Eren grinning like an idiot and madly jabbing his index finger on Levi's doorbell.

 

“You really are a kid, aren’t you?” Levi says, though there is no malice in his voice. Colossal has already kicked off from Eren’s chest and is off waddling into Levi’s apartment.

 

Eren snickers and shucks off his shoes next to Levi’s neatly lined up ones. Levi steps aside and lets him pass.

 

“Yup, twenty-one years and counting,” Eren counters.

 

Levi heads into the kitchen while Eren goes straight to the living room to drop down his bags.

 

Levi opens his fridge. He sighs and rests a hand on his hip, thinking about what the hell he could possibly make. There are only some leftover stalks of green onions, eggs and milk. He would have to go grocery shopping this weekend.

 

“Nothing in the fridge,” He calls out and closes the door.

 

“Oh, that’s okay,” Eren replies, and Levi looks up, not noticing when the boy had sauntered into the kitchen.

 

“I brought instant ramen up with me. For once, I won’t steal your food,” Eren says.

 

Levi scoffs, “Ramen is hardly a real meal, Jaeger.”

 

“I brought yogurt too?” Eren says.

 

Levi humphs and opens his fridge again, taking out the green onions and two eggs. He waves for Eren to follow after him.

 

“Bring those ramen packets here,” Levi says. “You can add a few things to make your instant noodles at least half decent.”

 

Eren scurries back to the living room and returns with three packets of chicken-flavored instant ramen, which he places on the kitchen counter.

 

“You’re gonna show me how to cook?” Eren asks, grinning from ear to ear and hopping about a little too eagerly.

 

“This is barely considered cooking,” Levi says, “But I was a college student once, so—”

 

“Really?” Eren jokes.

 

“I’m not that old,” Levi retorts and gets back at him by elbowing him in the side. “Move. We’ll cut these green onions.”

 

“Oh, you keep your chopping boards below, next to the pans, right?” Eren asks, already moving toward said cabinet.

 

“Huh, you’ve been paying attention,” Levi observes, grabbing a knife from the utensils drawer.

 

“Of course I have, how often have I been over now and seen you cook?” Eren boasts. Quite often, now that Levi thinks about it.

 

He asks Eren to cut the green onions, but when he sees how crookedly the boy cuts – No, _destroys_ \-- the poor vegetable, Levi shoves him aside and tells him to check the fridge one more time to see if he has any more vegetables.

 

Eren laughs and trots over to the fridge, returning with half a bag of spinach he found in one of the drawers.

 

“That’s good. If I had bok choy, that would’ve been better. Could you wash them,” Levi asks.

 

Eren lifts the bag up to his face, then turns the front of it in Levi’s direction.

 

“But it says they’re pre-washed.”

 

“How do I know how well they washed the spinach,” Levi flatly states.

 

Eren tilts his head and shrugs, but then he goes to the sink and washes the spinach. When he finishes, Levi is at the stove and waiting for the water to boil in a small pot.

 

“Do you have the ramen?” Levi asks. Eren opens up the packets, the plastic crackling loudly, then hands them over and Levi plops them in one by one.

 

“You can really eat all three?” Levi inquires with a quirked brow, at Eren.

 

“Sometimes, but only two today. I was thinking of offering you the third one, since I can’t cook for shit,” Eren replies.

 

Levi accepts the last one and drops it in.

 

Not too long after, Levi tosses in the spinach, green onions and cracks two eggs in. He also prefers his ramen with hardboiled eggs, but for the sake of time and the other being a college student, he opts for this instead.

 

Eren remains glued to his side the entire time. Levi shifts occasionally because of Eren’s proximity, but after a minute or so, the boy shuffles back into his space without fail. Levi only gets a brief reprieve when he reaches over to the spices cabinet and plucks out a few bottles.

 

“What’re those?” Eren asks.

 

“Red pepper, sesame oil, curry powder, soy sauce… Whatever the hell you want to put in, really,” Levi replies.

 

“And what about the flavor packets?” Eren asks.

 

“It’s full of shit, MSG and more shit. So ditch it, or if you do use it, only use half of it.”

 

Eren snorts at Levi’s vocabulary. Levi takes the packets and only uses a little less than half of it, before he starts randomly sprinkling in spices.

 

“How hot do you like it?” Levi asks, all attention on the food. The eggs look like they would be ready soon too.

 

“Really hot,” Eren whispers and Levi nearly jumps because he had literally felt Eren breathe that against the skin of his neck. Thankfully he had the self-control not to because he is dealing with a boiling hot pot of food, and only his head jerks to turn in Eren’s direction.

 

Eren’s face is close. _Too close_. Eren must have been looming over his shoulder, head right next to Levi's for a while now, without him realizing it. Eren turns his head to meet Levi’s stare. He can actually feel Eren's soft breaths fan over his face. Levi searches Eren’s eyes, those large, inquisitive green eyes, so curious and staring…

 

Levi feels his jaw tighten, his chest too. Wait, when had he been holding his breath?

 

Before Levi even really considers it, he has shoved a hand into Eren’s cheek, pushing his face away from his own.

 

“Too close!”

 

Eren squawks some kind of garbled noise and stumbles back. Now that the other is out of his space once more, Levi inhales sharply, able to breathe again.

 

Levi whips his focus back to the noodles, stirring furiously and shaking in spices without really paying attention.

 

“Levi! I like things spicy, but not _that_ spicy!” Eren whines.

 

\--

 

“Oh god, I’m _dying_ ,” Eren groans, voice all nasally. He pants and grabs his glass of water, gulping down huge mouthfuls.

 

“Shut up,” Levi grumbles, even through the haze of his teary eyes.

 

Mother of—His mouth is on _fire_. He better not be shitting fireballs after this.

 

Colossal walks up to the dining room table. Eren picks up his bowl and drops it down to Colossal’s nose level. Colossal barely sniffs at it once, recoils and swiftly retreats back to the living room.

 

Smart cat.

 

* * *

 

Friday, six thirty in the evening passes. Levi checks his watch then, and again at seven. Then he remembers and removes his watch. He eats the rest of his dinner with the droning of the evening news to keep him company, washes the one plate and puts it away. He sets the kettle to boil and contemplates his tea collection for a while, eventually picking up the tin of Ceylon.

 

He opens the cabinet to grab a ceramic mug and then the one right next to it. It is Eren’s cup. The kid must have forgotten it here. He shakes his head and places it on the kitchen counter as a reminder to himself to drop it off sometime soon.

 

The kettle whistles and snaps Levi out of his thoughts. He fills his cup, lost in thought, watching the water turn a gentle golden brown. The kettle feels strange, oddly heavier than usual once he has filled his cup. He realizes he has filled the kettle with enough water for two.

 

\--

 

The floors and walls are vibrating. He is absolutely positive of it. Levi stops walking and stands there in the middle of his living room. Yes, indeed, he is not crazy and it was not an earthquake either. He hears and practically feels the thin walls pulse with a steady beat that is likely one of his neighboring tenants throwing a party.

 

Levi huffs, depositing his cup into the kitchen sink. He walks to his balcony and slides the door open, poking his head out. The music is clearly not coming from the apartments to the left or right of him, but obviously from above.

 

Levi is not surprised, he knows Eren is a college student, but it is the first time the kid has thrown a party, at least to Levi’s knowledge. He slips on the slippers he keeps exclusively for going out to the balcony and cranes his neck, hoping to get a glimpse of the other.

  
Sure enough, there are people going in and out of the balcony with red cups in hand, and Levi gets glimpses of individuals who lean over the balcony to converse. Chit-chat and laughter float down. Levi is sure Eren's sliding door has been left open judging by how loud the music is, but also because of how freely the guests flow in and out.

 

Only one more day left in the workweek, Levi reminds himself. He waits, and sure enough, Eren finally makes an appearance on the balcony. He pops into view with some blonde, both of them with a beer in hand and talking animatedly.

 

Levi takes a deep breath and yells out over the din, “Oi! Eren!”

 

He sees the brunette’s head turn back and forth, searching, before he finally drops his head down and sees Levi.

 

“Oh! Levi!” Eren laughs and waves with both hands, spluttering and stopping when he accidentally spills some of his beer. His friend berates him for it and Eren laughs, nearly snorting.

 

“Can you turn it down a little?” Levi bellows back.

 

“What?”

 

“Can. You. Turn. It. Down. A. Little.” Levi repeats with emphasis.

 

“WHAT?” Eren hollers back, looking genuinely like he was straining to hear. He wobbles and cups his free hand around an ear, as if that would help.

 

Levi sighs and ducks back into his apartment, grabbing a hoodie before heading out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so domestic and fluffy, I almost couldn't handle it at one point. 
> 
> I already know what I want to write for the next chapter, so it hopefully should not take me as long to update! 
> 
>  
> 
> As always, you can check out the [neighbors au](http://ryuusea.tumblr.com/tagged/neighbors%20au) tag at my tumblr. 
> 
> Feel free to follow me/talk to me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/cmlktea) too!


	4. Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi turns his head to the side at the ghost-like touch, ending up with one cheek against Eren's chest.
> 
> What the hell am I doing? What the hell am I _allowing_? Levi mentally berates himself. 
> 
> Another chapter in Levi's POV.

Levi pulls the hoodie of his gray sweater to fight off the cool evening air that brushes his cheeks, even if he is only going up one flight of stairs. He has never been good at dealing with the cold. Not that that is a problem, for not a second after he rings Eren's doorbell, the door is wrenched open and he is yanked into the apartment that is warm and stuffy with all the people in there.  
  
“Levi!” Eren greets with a little too much enthusiasm, grabbing one of Levi’s wrists and tugging him inside hard enough for Levi's hood to flop back down. Levi tries not to grimace at Eren's sweaty grip. At least it is not sticky with beer. He scrutinizes the bottle of beer in Eren's other hand and sees that it is three-quarters finished.   
  
Eren sports an ear-to-ear grin, limbs loose and moving about with unrestrained ease. If he is not laughing, he is babbling. And does he think he is a fucking ballerina, because Levi swears Eren _twirls_ around and throws his arm around Levi’s shoulder.   
  
The blonde boy that had been at the balcony with him earlier is in front of them, his blue eyes alight with curiosity. Levi had honestly thought he was a girl from the balcony, but now he sees that _she_ is in fact a _he_ , with shoulder length blonde hair, half of it partially tied back. Beside him is a tall one with a long face who is looking on with a quirked brow and smirk that is questioning. He also looks like he is holding back a smart-assed remark.   
  
“Come in, come in, have a beer,” Eren sing-songs a little too loudly for how he is right beside Levi. He kicks his door shut.   
  
“I’m already in,” Levi deadpans. He rolls one shoulder, but it does nothing to deter Eren.   
  
“Aww, don’t be like that, neighbooor,” Eren chortles.   
  
The blonde one perks up, his face lighting up with realization.   
  
“Oh! You must be Levi. He’s mentioned you. The one who let him use his shower for a week.”   
  
Levi only nods. He stiffly remains where he is, not sure how to move with Eren draped over him like this. He wrinkles his nose when Eren huffs and he gets a blast of beer breath.   
  
“I’m Armin,” The blonde introduces himself. “Are you a grad student? What do you study?”   
  
Ah, the question that is always asked when you are in university, especially in social gatherings where there are people you do not know. Levi has not had to deal with this kind of small talk in a while. Not that he made much small talk back then anyway.   
  
“I’m not a student,” Levi replies. “Haven’t been for a while.”   
  
“Oh! I’m sorry,” Armin apologizes with a good-natured smile. He looks up at the taller one who still has not said anything, but continues to dart his eyes back and forth between Eren and Levi. He notices the pause in conversation and sees Armin staring pointedly at him.   
  
“Oh, I’m Jean.” He offers out his hand to shake, but Eren has started wiggling, jostling Levi and drawing his attention away (Not that he would have taken Jean’s hand anyway, who knows where it has been during this party). Eren is leaning out to grab a beer from the kitchen counter. He opens it and shoves it into Levi’s chest. Levi sighs and accepts it but does not take a drink.   
  
“Leeevi,” Eren whines. “Come on, now that you’re here, let’s chill a little bit! Noise isn’t a problem now, right? Hey, tell you what, I’ll let you control the music system—“   
  
“You little shit,” Levi interrupts with a low growl. “You were able to hear me from the balcony.”   
  
Eren blinks oh-so-innocently. Levi’s eyes narrow. Eren’s grin only widens more.   
  
“You conniving—“   
  
“Levi, don’t be like this! We're buddies, yeah? You and I even shared _shampoo_!” Eren blabbers on, absolutely no filter, and _holy fuck what the fuck_ Levi freezes up because Eren has dropped his nose into his hair, nuzzling and sniffing deeply. Levi starts when the arm around his shoulder suddenly drops to his waist, pressing him even tighter into his side.   
  
Armin bites back a laugh and Jean’s looks even more amused.   
  
“I’m sorry, Eren becomes a huge flirt and gets all touchy-feely when he’s had alcohol,” Armin explains.   
  
“M'not drunk yet! Just a lil’ tipsy!” Eren protests. He sticks his tongue out at the pair of them, and brings Levi closer into his side ( _Because they are not already close enough? This kid’s idea of personal space was five percent when sober, and now it is negative one hundred five percent when inebriated_ ). Eren laughs raucously, pulls another face at Armin and Jean who shake their heads in amusement and let Eren push past them with Lev in tow.   
  
Levi lets himself be pulled along, his mind too focused on the hand at his waist. He is too aware of the weight there, how the heat seeps through his shirt because the kid’s hand had snuck under his hoodie, so it is only the material of his shirt between them.   
  
They step past the kitchen and into the living room, where the bass is really pumping. The floor vibrates beneath Levi's feet, and some of the tables and shelves rattle. On the living room table, there is a game of beer pong going on between a bald kid and a tiny blonde girl who looks like she could be model material (Probably if she was taller).  A tall, dark-skinned girl with freckles is hugging her from behind. Blondie throws a bright orange ping-pong ball cleanly into one of Baldy’s red cups. Baldy groans and a brown-haired girl hanging off the back of the sofa watching them, bursts out laughing, one hand holding a beer and the other shoved down a potato chip back. Baldy yells at Potato Chips Girl that she is supposed to be on his team.   
  
In another corner of the living room, two other blondes are arm wrestling. It would be a laughable sight – A huge, buff man against such a short girl, except it looks like she is putting up a good fight against someone of his size. They are surrounded by a fair number of people who cajole them. They are about even for a couple seconds, neither arm giving an inch for a couple seconds, and then _wham!_ The girl slams his hand down. Cheers and groans erupt simultaneously. A few one-dollar bills are passed around.   
  
There are others seated on Eren’s couch, all talking loudly and animatedly over the music. Cups, bottles, and all kinds of junk food are passed around or littered over every possible flat surface. Lights are off except for the one coming from the kitchen. Eren even has one of those cheap disco light things, which he has set up and it projects colorful circles that spin over the walls and ceilings.   
  
Eren first steers Levi over to a small side table where he has speakers hooked up to a laptop. The small table just barely holds everything on it and stands randomly in the living room, clearly something that Eren had only dragged out to set the music up.   
  
Eren is singing along under his breath, head bobbing along, " _Lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor--_ "   
  
Eren cuts himself off with an amused snort and his eyes glimmer when he grins at Levi because of the song lyrics. Levi rolls his eyes. He flicks his gaze to the screen to see that it is currently playing an early 2000s top hits playlist, thus why some of the songs sound vaguely familiar to him. He bends over to squint at the controls and then turns down the volume knob on the speakers. He has no idea if this will decrease the volume enough for him to be able to sleep when he eventually returns to his room. A sharp bump to his hips makes him nearly lose his balance and Levi straightens up.   
  
He narrows his eyes at Eren, who is wiggling his hips from side to side without a care, one arm thrown up while mouthing along to " _Shake it, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture_." He is moving so obnoxiously and his hips shove into Levi two more times before Levi swats him, open-handed and straight in the stomach. Eren, who had not been expecting it, gasps, but starts laughing. _Seriously, this boy is crazy_ , Levi thinks.   
  
Levi casts his eyes around, looking for something, anything to talk about. He never knew what to do in parties. Dancing was absolutely, one thousand fucking percent out of the question. He was always the one off to the side, sipping a drink while sitting, watching, and judging people do stupid shit when inebriated. All around him, the college kids are absorbed in their fun, paying no attention to Eren and Levi.   
  
"Hey, where's the Puss?"   
  
Eren squints at him.   
  
"Booze? There's one in your hand, silly! And you haven't taken one sip yet!"   
  
Levi rolls his eyes.   
  
"I said 'Puss,' not 'booze,'" Levi says. He lifts the bottle to his lips just for the hell of it, okay, maybe so he has something to do. He holds back from wrinkling his nose at the bitter liquid that passes his lips. Ah, cheap beer. Doesn't that bring back those broke years in university? Better if this was cheap vodka though, at least that does something for him more than beer. Not that he gets drunk easily. One corner of his mouth quirks up, bottle still pressed against his lips. One too many idiots in those days had challenged him to a drinking game, thinking he would be a lightweight just because of his height.   
  
"Coco. Colossal. Not Puss," Eren chastises with a pout. "He's in my room. He doesn't like parties, so he hides in there."   
  
"Sensible," Levi says, more to himself than in response to Eren. Eren tilts his head to the side.   
  
A voice calls out to Eren, asking if he has got any Kahlua. Eren hollers back.   
  
"Where?!" The female voice yells back.   
  
"Right next to the--ugh. Fine, I'm coming, Sasha!"   
  
Suddenly by himself, Levi darts his eyes around in one quick sweep, then stares down at his beer. What the hell, he knows no one here. How annoying. He only knows Eren. Eren and his fat cat.   
  
The cat.   
  
With nothing else better to do, Levi turns on his heel and walks towards the one hallway that branches out from the living room. The layout of Eren's apartment is exactly the same as his, so he skips the first door which he knows would be the bathroom (And who knows if there is something going on in there that he does not need to see). He is right, because the next door on his right is open ajar, enough for him to see a bed. Thankfully, the only one using the bed is a certain cat.   
  
Levi nudges the door open and slips in. The bed is flush against the wall length-wise, and the cat is balled up in the corner where bedpost meets wall. At Levi's entrance, Colossal turns his head, which had been squished up against the wall.   
  
Levi surveys the room. There is a bookshelf, crowded with books and knick knacks alike, a poster for the recent Avengers movie plastered to one side of it. There is a laundry hamper near the closet, clothes strewn around it on the floor. Levi notices Eren's desk the most though, because it is utter chaos. Atop it are books, notebooks, used mugs, pens and papers and random wires scattered about. There is hardly any open space available, but Levi finds an open spot to set down his beer bottle carefully.   
  
Colossal stands up, turns in a circle and pads across the bed to meow at Levi. Levi moves closer to scratch under Colossal's chin. The cat closes its eyes in content and Levi feels the warm throat vibrating against his fingertips in a light purr.   
  
Levi himself feels a bit comforted at the cat's presence. Unlike out in the living room and dealing with strangers, at least this company is easy and comfortable. Colossal opens his eyes again and plops down heavily, rolling on his side and exposing half of his belly.   
  
"Levi?"   
  
Levi starts at the sound of Eren's voice from behind him. So focused had he been on Colossal, that he had not heard the other come in.   
  
Levi turns around. He inhales sharply, for Eren stands directly behind him, so close that Levi instinctively takes one step back.   
  
"So you were here," Eren says.   
  
Levi swallows. Eren stares down unblinkingly with glossy green eyes. Levi averts his eyes, stares straight at the other's chest. He is eye level with the other's collarbones, which peek out from the wide collar of his casual t-shirt that he has on under a navy blue cardigan.   
  
"I really should go," Levi mutters.   
  
"Was looking for you," Eren says. Levi frowns, still staring straight ahead. It is as if the kid is not even bothering to listen to him. As if he had purposely just ignored his words.   
  
"Eren, you--"   
  
And Eren surges forward, not even having to take a step forward in their proximity, to draw Levi into an embrace. Levi freezes up at the arms that circle around him. One hand comes to rest on the back of his left shoulder, the other against the back of his neck, thumb just below his hairline.   
  
Levi now has his nose pressed up against those collarbones. Okay, now this kid just trespassed all his personal boundaries. Wrapped up by the other, he is completely surrounded by him. He sees and smells nothing but Eren. _Hey, wait a second, doesn't that smell like his soap?_   
  
"So you noticed?" Eren chuckles.   
  
_Shit, had he said that out loud?_ Levi feels the other's laugh roll out from his chest and rumble against his own.   
  
Levi's eyes dart wildly about. To the other's trim waist below. To the left and to the right, to his own hands curling and uncurling in fists at his sides. He should push Eren away. He wants to hide his face away from Eren; does not want to know what Eren would look like when he looks at him, so he turns his face to the side instead of pulling away.   
  
Eren is warm, that is for sure. When Levi still does not move, Eren raises the hand at the back of Levi's neck just enough to probe his fingertips along the stubbly hair of Levi's undercut. Levi turns his head to the side at the ghost-like touch, ending up with one cheek against Eren's chest.   
  
What the hell am I doing? What the hell am I _allowing_? Levi mentally berates himself. His hands continue to twitch at his side. Why the hell does he suddenly want to bring his hands up to Erens' waist?   
  
Eren's breaths fan out over Levi's hair, fluttering it with every languid exhale. Levi feels Eren's hand at his nape get a little braver and inch up the tiniest bit more, enough for Eren to rub his thumb in circles on a spot just behind Levi's ear.   
  
Levi's hands curl one last time into a tight fist. It would be nothing. They are not teenagers. What the hell. Eren is just giving him a hug. It's just a fucking hug. No big deal, yeah. So slowly, ever so slowly, Levi relaxes his hands and raises them. For a second, he lets them awkwardly linger in the air. Finally, after what feels like ages, he rests them on Eren's waist.   
  
He keeps them there, not moving at all. He is only holding Eren's waist, but it somehow feeds his mind. Levi is shorter, stockier, and of a thicker build, and Eren is slimmer in comparison. But he still feels solid and firm beneath Levi's palms. He wonders if maybe he works out, or if he is just active in general, something he could easily imagine the energetic boy being.   
  
"I like the smell of the soap you use, so I went and bought it," Eren says.   
  
Levi has to think about that for a second, then recalls that they had just been talking about the smell of his soap on Eren.   
  
"M'sorry for going under your sink to figure out what soap you buy," Eren confesses. He says it with such a heavy, serious tone, that Levi snorts. _God, what a dumbass_. Levi still finds himself taking a surreptitious, shallow sniff. He catches a whiff of the light lemon scent.   
  
Levi does not know how long he is there in Eren's arms. It feels like forever though, him standing there with his hands just above Eren's hips, his cheek warm from where it is pillowed against Eren's chest. It is quiet as his mind is on nothing but his racing thoughts, yet loud with the music still in the background. He does not know if he is comfortable with this, but he also does not know if he finds it entirely uncomfortable.   
  
Eren starts shifting, arms coming together more. Levi gasps, eyes widening when he feels Eren's hand at his neck move all the way up to slide through his hair. Then there is a low "maaoow," from behind Levi and _why the hell is this all happening at once_ , and Levi whips around. He forgot Colossal had been there. What the hell had the cat been doing this whole time?!   
  
Colossal has sat up on the bed and meows again, as if to ask, "Why are you not paying attention to me?" His tail swishes back and forth over Eren's duvet restlessly.   
  
"Ohhh, Coco, hello," Eren croons just as he drops his chin onto Levi's shoulder from behind. Levi clenches his jaw, feeling Eren lean his weight into him. Levi is just about to shrug him off with a snappy remark to accompany it, but no, the kid has to snake his hands around Levi's waist, leisurely sliding them down the sides of his legs.   
  
"Coco," Eren calls out again. The cat mewls back, standing up at the call of his name. Levi swallows at those warm hands that keep rubbing circles on his sides.   
  
Levi is gritting his teeth hard now, and Armin's words come back to him: _Eren becomes a huge flirt and gets all touchy-feely when he’s had alcohol_.   
  
That thought has Levi shoving away from Eren and maneuvering out of his embrace. When he turns around, Eren simply smiles a dopey smile at him. Levi frowns at that. _Eren has no sense of personal space_ , Levi reminds himself. He has had some drinks. He must get affectionate and touchy-feely like this with everyone. His friend had said so himself. Levi feels the corner of his mouth twitch as his frown grows.   
  
But he will not just leave Eren like this.   
  
"Look, Eren, I need to go. I have work tomorrow," Levi sighs. "But... take care of yourself, okay."   
  
Eren nods, his head lolling back and forth.   
  
"Levi's so nice," Eren says. He laughs, no, giggles.   
  
Levi sighs. He somehow gets Eren to lean against him for support, one arm around his shoulders. Colossal had hopped down from the bed and winds himself around and around Levi's ankles very helpfully, still mewing for attention.   
  
"Later, Puss," Levi hisses, and gently toes the cat in the side. Colossal does not seem to get it, for he bumps his head into Levi's foot in response, then rubs his face against it. Eren laughs again and Levi grumbles about it. He gives up and just starts walking back towards the door. Colossal, still not keen on going out, does not follow them.   
  
Levi drags Eren along with him and searches out his blonde friend. He finds Armin in the kitchen, just refilling a red plastic cup with some Malibu rum. Levi exchanges minimal words with the other, not feeling so comfortable with how his curious blue eyes seem to be analyzing and searching, before handing Eren over.   
  
By the time Levi gets down to his floor and into his apartment he is exhausted. Socializing and dealing with people is exhausting. He takes a quick shower and flops into bed.

* * *

  
_Ding dong_.   
  
Levi arches a brow at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Who the hell would be ringing the doorbell this early in the morning? He gives one final tug on his necktie, deeming it perfectly done.   
  
_Ding dong ding dong_.   
  
There is no way. With how early in the night last night that Eren had been that tipsy, he totally had to have a hangover this morning. He would definitely not be up this early in the morning. Levi needs tea, not a nauseous college kid on his doorstep, right before he leaves for work on the last day of the week.   
  
_Ding dong ding dong ding dong._  
  
Only one person attacks his doorbell like that. Levi growls and stalks over to his door, snapping the locks back and wrenching the door open. After last night, he is not in the mood to deal with Eren right away. He needs a little time before he can see his face.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with y--"   
  
This is not Eren Jaeger.   
  
Eren Jaeger does not wear pigtails. Nor is he that tiny.   
  
A little girl with green eyes blinks up at Levi, one hand still floating above the doorbell, one hand squeezing Colossal to her chest.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The song Eren was singing was Outkast's Hey Ya. I was 13 when that song came out. Now I'm curious as to how many of you readers know that song.
> 
> Wanted to post this on Tuesday before I go up to San Francisco for a week. I'll likely be going to Fanime on Saturday and Sunday too, if anyone will be there too. :)


	5. Isabel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Coco was outside his door!” Isabel chimes in helpfully, “I was comin’ up the stairs and I saw Coco pawing at his door, so I thought it was your apartment, so I rang the doorbell but it wasn’t you, it was this Big Bro, and then he told me that you live one more floor up and so he came with me.”
> 
> Levi darts his eyes back front, but this time to arch an eyebrow at Isabel. “Big Bro?” 
> 
> Isabel tilts her head at Levi. “Yeah, Eren here is Bro, so you must be Big Bro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is no reason why this chapter took so long besides the fact that I felt unmotivated to write for this AU for a while. I considered giving up on it or simply putting it aside a few weeks ago, but here we are now.

Why the hell is his doorbell ringing? His ears are already ringing, his head throbbing, and the sun is way too bright and cheerful. Eren flips over and buries his face in a pillow, turning away from the sunlight pouring in from his window.

 

The doorbell ringing stops and Eren sighs in relief. It is Friday, he is not expecting any deliveries, and he planned to skip classes today anyway since Isabel would be coming to stay with him for the weekend.

 

Eren bolts upright.

 

“Fuck!” He yells, first at how his vision sways at the sudden movement and then curses again when he picks up his phone to check the time. His phone had been on silent and he had missed three calls from his mother. She had left a text, stating that she had dropped Isabel off in front of the building because she had a doctor’s appointment to run to.

 

Then a pounding begins on his front door. A little too strong, he thinks, for his little sister though. But then, the yelling start. And there is only one person who can match or even outdo his own loudness.

 

Eren heaves his body up and out of his bed, all his limbs feeling heavy and lethargic. He trudges through his living room, grimacing at all the potato chip and other food bits all over the floor. At least all the cups, empty bottles, and cans had all been gathered on top of the dining table. It was probably Armin who made the others help clean up a bit before they left, whenever that was after Eren had passed out.

 

“BRO! Hurry up! Coco’s HEAVY!” A muffled voice bellows from the door. Eren licks his chapped lips, the stale taste of beer still heavy on his tongue. He hurries over to the door, because if anything, the sooner he gets Isabel in, the sooner he can grab an aspirin and some water.

 

Eren unlatches his door and swings it open, a raspy apologize already falling from his dry throat, “Iz, sorr—“ Eren stops, eyes widening because standing beside Isabel is Levi.

 

“FINALLY!” Isabel sighs dramatically and releases Coco who scurries in, rushing either to the litter box or the food bowl. “Hi, bro!” Isabel throws herself forward to hug Eren. She rubs her forehead into Eren’s chest, making a mess of her bangs that are always flying every direction regardless.

 

Though his head hurts, a smile still makes its way onto Eren’s face when Isabel looks up at him and grins. He looks up at Levi, the man dressed as pristine as ever in his work clothes: Today it is a charcoal gray button up and a black necktie over black slacks.

 

“Ah, hey, Levi,” Eren says, “Thanks for bringing Iz up, but why…?” He searches Levi’s eyes questioningly, but Levi turns his gaze aside at that.

 

“She rang my doorbell, had the cat with her too.”

 

“Coco was outside his door!” Isabel chimes in helpfully, “I was comin’ up the stairs and I saw Coco pawing at his door, so I thought it was your apartment, so I rang the doorbell but it wasn’t you, it was this Big Bro, and then he told me that you live one more floor up and so he came with me.”

 

Levi darts his eyes back front, but this time to arch an eyebrow at Isabel. “Big Bro?”

 

Isabel tilts her head at Levi. “Yeah, Eren here is Bro, so you must be Big Bro.”

 

Eren coughs out a dry laugh. He tugs Isabel into his apartment, giving a little nudge with his elbow to push her inside behind him.

 

“Um, thanks Levi, for taking care of Iz – Isabel – She’s my little sister.”

 

Levi finally meets Eren’s eyes. “I kind of figured that by how she calls you ‘bro.’”

 

Isabel giggles from behind Eren. “Big Bro’s funny!”

 

Eren playfully jostles her. “Come on, get inside, I need coffee and maybe I’ll find something to feed you.”

 

“It’s okay, Big Bro here gave me some toast with an egg on it! He makes better breakfast than you do.”

 

“Breakfast?” Levi repeats. “If she considers that a decent breakfast, do I even want to know what your standard of breakfast is?”

 

Eren laughs and rubs the back of his neck. “Uh, cereal?”

 

“And I’m sure the kind of cereal you eat is of the unhealthy variety, like Fruity Loops or something.”

 

“Hey! I like those. And they’re called Fruit Loops, okay.”

 

“Mom’s cooking is the best though!” Isabel says, still lingering behind Eren. “But you’re pretty cool too, Big Bro.”

 

“Thanks, kid,” Levi says. His lips quirk up a little at that, something that does not slip Eren’s notice.

 

“Even if you’re old,” Isabel adds.

 

“Iz!”

 

“What! He’s older than you, right? That’s like, pretty old.”

 

“What’s that make Dad, then? A dinosaur?!” Eren protests.

 

“But Dad is _Dad_!” Isabel counters. “Oh, you said dinosaurs! Can we go see Jurassic World this weekend?!”

 

“Ugh, Iz! Just get inside! I got you chocolate milk. It’s in the fridge.”

 

He glances at Levi. Levi is not old, not at all! He is only… How old is he, actually? Eren realizes in that second that he does not know. There are a lot of things he does not know about Levi. What little he does know is that Levi likes tea, keeps things clean and orderly, cooks well, and always dresses nicely for his job. Actually, he does not even know what Levi does for a living.

 

Eren sighs and massages his brow, as if he could will away his headache even the tiniest bit. He steps forward and closes his door a little more behind him.

 

“She’s a big ball of energy, hah,” Eren says. “Thanks for bringing her up.”

 

Levi nods. “Don’t worry about it.” He lifts his hand, holding up Eren’s mug. “This is yours. I’ve been meaning to return it. It’s been sitting in my kitchen.”

 

“I—Oh,” Eren dumbly says and takes the cup. He feels like he should say something else, but his brain is too busy screaming at him for drinking too much last night. _Ah, he had seen Levi at some point last night, right?_ Eren narrows his eyes, trying to walk through his hazy memory. He vaguely remembers being with Jean and Armin and talking to Levi, but nothing past that.

 

“You came sometime last night, didn’t you?” Eren huffs out an embarrassed laugh.

 

Levi blinks and then he is avoiding Eren’s eyes again.

 

"I did, but only for a little bit."

 

Silence lapses between them once more. Eren shifts the cup from one hand to the other. It is clean. Levi must have washed it and kept it for him all this time in his kitchen. Ready and waiting for him whenever Eren arrives for a study session. Eren had planned to leave it there as long as he could, a convenient excuse if ever need be.

 

Levi lifts his wrist to check the time on his watch.

 

“I should get going or I’ll be late to work,” Levi says to bid his farewell. He turns on his heel.

 

Eren grabs Levi’s sleeve without thinking. Levi turns his head to regard the other from over his shoulder. Eren immediately drops his hand down, fumbling for words, anything to give him an excuse for reaching out to him like that.

 

“Levi! I, ah, really owe you one! For Iz. So how about you come over later? We’ll be baking cookies. And Iz seems to really like you too, so.”

 

Eren squeezes his hand around the cup, hopeful.

 

“Then, please make sure you’ve brushed your teeth by the time I come back from work,” Levi says.

 

“Of course I’ll have brushed my teeth by then!” Eren huffs, but he is grinning, even when Levi has rounded the corner and his footsteps no longer echo from the stairwell.

 

* * *

 

Isabel looks up upon hearing the front door click shut. Seconds later, Eren walks into the kitchen with a dazed smile on his face.

 

She watches her older brother from where she is squatting, a tall glass brimming with chocolate milk in one hand, her other hand busy scratching under Colossal’s chin. Eren rattles and rummages about the kitchen until he finds a cup to fill with water from the faucet. He sighs in relief once he gulps down some water and a pill, much like she has seen when their mother or father look especially tired and cranky looking. Eren rubs at a spot between his brows and Isabel concludes that it must be a headache. Their mom rubs her temple in the same way when she has one.

 

Eren then turns to his coffee machine. Isabel has always like the little gurgling noise it makes, and the smell that fills the air is pleasant, but she does not understand why her parents and brother like coffee. It is so bitter, unlike delicious chocolate milk.

 

Speaking of which, Isabel carefully gets up. The glass in her hand wobbles with her, some of the chocolate milk dribbling over the rim. Eyes widening, she stops petting Colossal and wraps both hands around the glass, dipping her head down to take two big gulps. The glass now no longer overly full, she stands and wanders into the living room.

 

She stares at Eren’s living room. There are stacks and stacks of red cups and empty bottles huddled together on the table. When she steps closer and peeks into one red cup, she wrinkles her nose at the strong scent that wafts up to her.

 

“Ew!” Isabel says. She remembers this drink that looks like apple juice but is not apple juice. There was a time when their Dad had been drinking a glass of that nasty liquid, and when he had left the table, she decided she would try it. Only to spit it out and consequently all over the dining table, Eren, and his Gameboy Color (which thankfully survived).

 

“Eren, if mom was here to see how messy it is, you’d be in soooo much trouble!”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do it after I’ve had some coffee and Fruit Loops,” Eren says, joining Isabel’s side and ruffling the hair at the top of her head. “How about helping your brother out?”

 

“Yuck, no!”

 

“The faster we clean up, the faster we can make those chocolate chip cookies,” Eren says, throwing Isabel a wink over his coffee cup.

 

Isabel smiles up at her big brother. Well, maybe she could wipe down the table. She could not wait to make her brother’s famously delicious cookies and kick everyone's butt at Monday’s bake sale. She would make sure to save the best ones for her best friend, Farlan, of course.

 

* * *

 

After downing a bowl of cereal, a second cup of coffee, and more water to rehydrate, Eren feels like he can actually function again. The hangover is waning, so he starts picking up the mess from last night. Isabel wipes down the table as promised and he somehow coerces her to sweep the floor.

 

By the time his living room is clean though, he is lazy, and flops down onto his crumb-free couch. Isabel joins him, and then a couple minutes later, they are fighting it out on his Wii, all yells, good-natured taunts, and raucous laughter.

 

Then they are hungry and Eren has no food in his fridge, so he takes her out to the nearby deli. It is a cheap little joint, but known for making a pretty mean pastrami melt sandwich, which he splits with her. The shop also has baklava, and Eren cannot deny his little sister or his own sweet tooth.

 

By the time they roll their stuffed selves out of the shop and back to the apartment, Eren is ready to food coma out, but Isabel is up and raving to get baking. They start pulling out measuring cups, mixing bowls, spatulas and all the necessary ingredients. Unfortunately, Eren realizes with a groan that he is low on brown sugar. So by the time they return with the brown sugar (along with some more snacks), it is past five.

 

Eren checks that he has all the ingredients one last time, everything placed before him on the kitchen counter. Isabel peeks at all the ingredients, twirling a spatula in one hand restlessly.

 

“All right, we’ve got everything we need,” Eren smiles down at her. He notices one of her pigtails is falling loose. “Hey, let’s retie your hair before we get started so it doesn’t get in your way.”

 

He moves to boost Isabel up onto the kitchen counter but she maneuvers away from him and hoists herself up. Eren shakes his head with a smile, but loosens her short pigtails and redoes them. Isabel swings her legs, snickering whenever she accidentally kicks him. Eren pinches her nose in revenge until she flails at him and he is forced to release her.

 

Isabel remains sitting on the kitchen counter as they work. She snatches up the mixing bowl and holds it while Eren measures out ingredients into it. He is just scooping up flour when the doorbell rings. Starting, Eren’s wrist jerks, sending up a poof of some of the flour in the measuring cup he is holding.

 

The white powder tickles his nose and Eren turns his head aside to sneeze. He rubs at his nose with his wrist, and only after notices the fine dusting of powder on it too, making him snort.

 

 _Oh well, things are just going to get messier_ , Eren thinks and heads over to the answer the door. He struggles to try and open the door without getting his flour-covered hands on it, but his elbows are only good for turning the lock. He gives up and uses his hands to open the door to Levi, whose hand is poised in mid-air to ring the doorbell once more.

 

“Hi Levi! We’re just getting started, actually.”

 

“Big Bro! You’re back!” Isabel yells from the kitchen.

 

“Hello Eren, Isabel,” Levi greets in return.  

 

Eren lets Levi in, observing how the older man removes his shoes and sets them neatly to the side, like he does in his own apartment. Levi tugs at his necktie and loosens his collar, undoing the first two buttons.

 

When Levi slides his gray gaze over to Eren, Eren realizes he has been staring.

 

“What?” Levi states, blunt as ever.

 

“Nothing!” Eren responds all too quickly. It is just that this is the first time he has seen Levi immediately after work. It was always him going over to Levi’s to do homework, and by that time, Levi had already settled down after coming home from work. Levi walks deeper into Eren’s apartment, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. _Yeah, that's it_ , Eren thinks. It simply is his first time seeing how Levi unwinds after a long day at work.

 

“Are you tired?” Eren asks, puttering along after Levi. “Do you want some water?”

 

Levi shakes his head, “Not particularly, Friday’s always feel so long, is all. And it’s fine, I’m not thirsty.”

 

“Hmm, okay,” Eren says. He busies himself by continuing to measure out flour. Behind him, he hears Levi turn on the faucet to wash his hands.

 

“Mrrrr?” Eren looks down to see Colossal peering from around the other side of the kitchen counter. The cat pads forward and looks up curiously, tail waving back and forth. The cat must have come to investigate why there are more people than usual in the apartment. He winds himself around Eren’s right leg, and then trots over to Levi to rub himself against his legs too.

 

“Aw, Coco really does like Big Bro,” Isabel comments.

 

Levi towels off his hands and then steps around Colossal, who being a cat, of course has to get in the way and continue trotting right beside Levi’s feet.

 

“Levi, would you mind cracking the eggs into the other bowl?” Eren asks and hands over a second smaller mixing bowl to Levi. Levi takes it and picks up the eggs sitting on the kitchen counter.

 

Eren, once more, ends up watching at Levi. This time, however, he does so from the corner of his eye. Levi methodically folds and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows. Eren has watched Levi cook before, but the younger man finds himself really paying attention to the other’s arms this time.

 

Levi is smaller than Eren, but his body is of a thicker build, those bared forearms looking so assured and steady. They are not cumbersome limbs though. Eren has seen the deft way that Levi measures out tea leaves or towel-dries his teacups, and how he one-handedly cracks the eggs now, and so cleanly at that.

 

Eren forces himself to stop his admiration of Levi’s arms, telling Isabel to measure out exactly how much sugar and baking soda, while he goes to the other side of the kitchen to melt butter. It does not take too long though, and he returns to add that to their mix. Isabel is all too eager to spatula the hell out of their ingredients and Eren has to warn her not to over-mix things.

 

Levi remains quiet, seemingly focused on the process. When Eren says that they are ready to mix together the two bowls, Levi steps around him and they trade places so Levi is next to Isabel and he can pour his bowl into hers.

 

While they do that, Eren reaches for the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. He grits his teeth when the bag refuses to open with his bare hands and he continues yanking at the annoying plastic.

 

“So Big Bro, are you married?” Isabel chirps out of nowhere.

 

Eren squeaks suddenly and of course he jerks the plastic bag too hard, sending half of the chocolate chips flying onto the counter.

 

“Iz!” Eren scolds and hastily gathers the stray chocolate chips up.

 

“Blunt one, aren’t you?” Levi quips and Eren glances over to see him looking at Isabel, mouth quirked up in amusement. “I guess it runs in the Jaeger family, hmm?” Eren cannot help looking in Levi’s direction again, but the other is still not looking at him. Eren ducks his head down once more.

 

“No, I’m not married,” Levi replies. “Aren’t you quite young to be thinking about such things, little lady? How old are you?”

 

I’m nine!” Isabel proclaims, proudly lifting her non-spatula hand to jab her thumb at herself. “And I don’t wanna get married! Boys are dumb.”

 

Isabel scrunches her face and sticks her tongue out. Levi snorts and Eren snickers.

 

“But,” Isabel adds, “Bro’s cool. Dad said that when I was like five, I kept saying I would marry to him.”

 

Eren chuckles, chiming in, “I remember that.”

 

“But he likes boys anyway—“

 

Eren squeaks and feels his cheeks explode with heat. Eyes wide, he whips his head around to look at the pair. However, Levi is facing away from him, listening to Isabel, so Eren does not get to see his neighbor’s face or if he is reacting in anyway. Gnawing on his bottom lip, Eren stares at the back of Levi’s head.

 

“—Eren, you can’t marry Big Bro, okay? Because I’m going marry him!”

 

“I-Iz…” Eren meekly says. His voice has gone high and he is sure his face, maybe even down to his neck, is red. Levi turns his head to look at him, eyeing him from lowered lids. His eyes appear thoughtful, but Eren cannot read further than that.

 

Eren smiles weakly. He ducks his head and leans over towards them to add the chocolate chips. He lifts his eyes once more. Levi is quiet and stiff before him, looking down at Eren’s hands above the mixing bowl.

 

Eren laughs weakly. “Iz is funny, isn’t she? You, uh, have sibings, Levi?”

 

“A half sister,” Levi murmurs.

 

Eren hums in acknowledgement at the answer. It is just a little thing, but somehow he feels a little happier. He has learned something new about Levi today. The niggling feeling that maybe Levi is a little more distant today though, bothers him a bit.

 

Levi has returned the conversation at his sister once more. “So, what exactly is the secret ingredient to Eren’s famous cookies?”

 

Isabel huffs. “Dunno! I tried making it at home once with Mom, but it just wasn’t the same! Maybe he just has the magic touch.”

 

“Magic touch, hah… Haha,” Eren says and he feels like he is just trying to fill the silence. He purses his lips. _Cool down, come on Eren_. He takes a step back and leans his hip against the counter. He is about to prop his arm on the counter when Levi’s hand shoots out, catching him by the elbow.

 

Eren darts his eyes up, catching Levi’s gray ones. He feels like this is the first time they have actually held eye contact all day today. Eren swallows. He is very conscious of the hand at his elbow, the press of those fingers; they twitch once, faintly, and he feels Levi’s thumb dig in a little bit.

 

Levi sighs and breaks their stare-off first. “There’s flour all over the counter. It’ll get on your sleeve.” Levi shifts his hand, fingers curling around the end of Eren’s three-quarters sleeve shirt, tugging it a little upward.

 

Eren feels the breath rush out of him. _Wait. When had he been holding his breath?_ Levi’s fingertips brush at the crease of his elbow, just under his sleeve. Eren jolts back at the tickling sensation and shoves up his sleeves himself. He mutters something to Levi, likely jibberish.

 

“S-So once you’re finished mixing, we’ll put the dough in the fridge and let it set for a bit. M’gonna wash my hands,” Eren blabbers, escaping to the sink and to hide his face.

 

_What is wrong with me?_

 

Isabel hops off the counter and sidles up to Eren to wash her own hands. Levi brings over the used measuring cups and the other bowl, placing them in the sink to be washed later.

 

“I’m gonna have some more chocolate milk!” Isabel announces. She skips over to the fridge, not even having dried off her hands.

 

“At this rate, the whole carton isn’t going to even last the whole weekend!” Eren jokes. He turns around and Levi passes him.

 

“Big Bro, do you want some too?” Isabel whips around, spinning on her socked heels.

 

And straight into Levi.

 

Eren and Isabel shout at the same time.

 

Levi stares at the chocolate milk running down the front of his shirt.

 

* * *

 

Isabel wails apologies at Levi (at the same time bemoaning the loss of her precious chocolate milk) and Eren sputters his own apologies, grabbing Levi by the arm.

 

“I’m really sorry! I’ll wash it right away, let’s go put it in the laundry—“

 

“Eren, Isabel, it's not a big deal. I can just do it when I get back down—“

 

“No! I wouldn’t want it to stain!”

 

Eren’s mind is rushing as much as his hands are flying, grabbing laundry detergent and running water to load his washing machine.

 

“Take off your shirt! Err, I mean, please? Take off your shirt? I-It’s our fault, so…”

 

Eren bites his lip. _Damn. Stop talking_. Whenever he gets flustered, he cannot stop his rambling. Eren presses his palms into the laundry machine and leans over. A motion to his right makes him look over to see Levi’s hand there, holding out his shirt. Eren quickly takes it and drops it into the churning water pooling in the washing machine.

 

“Really sorry about that Levi. I’m doing a small load, so it shouldn't take too long.” Eren twirls around. Whatever he was going to say next catches in his throat.

 

“It got on my undershirt too,” Levi mutters to himself, and Eren fights down a choked squeaking noise that nearly escapes his throat, because Levi grabs the end of the white tank top and pulls it over his head.

 

 _Oh. Damn_.

 

Levi stretches his arm out to hand over this shirt as well. Eren breathes in his sharply. _The flex of those biceps_ …

 

He blinks rapidly and snatches up the shirt and tosses it in with Levi’s dress shirt. He probably slams the washing machine door a little too forcefully. Remaining facing the laundry machine, Eren gnaws on his bottom lip.

 

All this time, Eren has only ever seen Levi in clothes that fully covered his arms, such as his button-up shirts. The times he has seen the other man in casual clothes, Levi always had a sweater or a hoodie on (Levi had mentioned it once how he tends to get cold easily). Eren has never seen Levi’s arms bare until now, let alone his chest and torso.

 

Levi, to say the least, is hella fit.

 

Peeping behind him, Eren looks over Levi once more. He has to press his lips together, fighting the urge to lick his lips.

 

Levi scratches the back of his head, brows furrowed over his eyes that are directed at the far wall. He drops the hand to his corded neck, shifts to lean on one leg, then the other, and settles on crossing his arms over his chest. The motion pushes his pectorals together, as well as tighten the muscles on his arms. Levi still keeps his gaze away, alternating between the wall and the floor.

 

Eren is pretty sure he is not imagining it. Levi has been reluctant to meet his eyes all day. _What had changed?_ There is heaviness in the air, something that had not been there before. He can only surmise that something had happened last night. But what?

 

Eren wrings his brain, digging through his fuzzy memory.

 

“L-Levi?” Eren inquires and slowly turns around. He settles himself back against the humming washing machine.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Did something happen last night? I know you came by at some point, like I vaguely remember seeing you at my front door, but I really don’t recall anything else.”

 

Levi flicks his steely eyes at Eren's face, then down again.

 

“Yeah, I did drop by…”

 

“Oh, I see! I guess I was pretty drunk, haha… I get pretty silly when I’m drunk, see. I’m sorry, I bet I said something stupid, huh?” Eren smiles wryly and he feels the corners of his mouth twitching.

 

Eren sees Levi’s mouth part, about to say something.

 

“Oh god, I did do something stupid, didn’t I?!” _Fuck_ , Eren thinks, and the words keep spilling from his lips. “L-Look, whatever I did, I’m sorry! I bet I was being dumb, see Armin and Jean – Oh, you met them! I kinda remember that! – They always tell me how stupid I get when I’m drunk. A-Anyway, whatever I said or did, I bet it was something silly. It didn’t mean anything. It was probably nothing, so you can forget about it!”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“H-Huh?” Eren whips his head up, eyes wide and mouth gaping open slightly.

 

Levi stares straight at him, finally meeting his gaze head on. His eyes are blank.

 

“You’re right. Nothing happened last night.”

 

Eren blinks. He should be relieved. Right? But there is something hollow to Levi’s words just now.

 

Eren frowns. Confused. He is confused at Levi’s words. Confused at the anxious little knot settling in the middle of his chest.

 

Levi breathes out, a long and low sigh.

 

“I should go, Eren. It’s been a long day. It was nice meeting Isabel.”

 

“Levi—“

 

“Nothing happened, as you said. So there’s nothing to forget. Good night, Eren,” Levi says, voice just above a whisper, and then he is walking away.

 

Eren faintly hears Isabel holler her farewell, then the front door shutting.

 

Though Levi’s words had been barely above a whisper, they echo in Eren’s mind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is going on. I'm still trying to figure this out for myself.


	6. Interlude - Isabel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a.k.a. the Isabel Intervention.
> 
> (I guess)

“Bro, hu—rry u—p!” Isabel hollers. Her outburst disturbs Coco, who turns over in her lap. She scratches behind his ear in consolation, but the plump feline kicks off her and seeks out the comfort of his food bowl.

 

“Just gimme another five minutes,” Eren calls back from his bedroom.

 

Isabel sighs. Five minutes is _forever_. And Eren has already told her “another five minutes” twice already. Well, now that the catloaf is off her lap (seriously, what does her brother feed him?), Isabel can now investigate what is keeping Eren.

 

Isabel steps into her brother’s bedroom. She blinks in confusion.

 

“What’re you doing,” Isabel flatly asks.

 

“I’m ironing,” Eren replies and lifts up the iron to wave it, as if to say, ‘obviously’.

 

“But you _never_ iron,” Isabel quips back. She glances over at the small pile of dry laundry atop Eren’s unmade bed. When she flicks her atttention to Eren again, he has paused, still holding the iron up in the air above a white button-up.

 

“Oh, that’s Big Bro’s shirt.”

 

“Um. Yeah,” Eren says. He looks away from Isabel too quickly and resumes ironing. “I’m almost done, promise.”

 

Isabel groans. “Fine. I’m going to see Big Bro.”

 

Eren freezes up at that.

 

“Wha-what for?”

 

Isabel frowns. “He didn’t come back yesterday! I want to give him some cookies before Mom picks me up.”

 

“O-Oh. Right. Okay. Sure.”

 

Isabel furrows her brows at her brother’s odd behavior. Shrugging it off, she heads back to the kitchen and grabs the Tupperware she had prepared last night for Levi. She smiles at the container, which holds about ten cookies, neatly lined up.

 

Isabel hops the stairs by two’s down to Levi’s apartment. She jabs the doorbell twice, frowning when Levi does not answer. She raps her fist against the door, hollering, “Big Bro! It’s Isabel!”

 

It is only then that Levi opens the door.

 

“Hm? What brings you here?” Levi looks down at her, but still stepping aside when she starts to move forward.

 

“I wanted to give you some of the cookies we made together!”

 

“You didn’t have to,” Levi says. “But first, shoes off please.”

 

Isabel quickly toes off and wriggles her shoes off without a noise of complaint. Levi stoops down to line them up neatly, and then follows after the young girl who looks from left to right, openly curious about Levi’s apartment.

 

“It’s like Bro’s apartment, except clean. Our mom would love you,” Isabel chirps. She plops herself down on one side of Levi’s couch, noticing how it is much smaller than Eren’s own. The apartment is indeed the same layout as Eren’s but with a lot less clutter. It somehow makes the space seem bigger.

 

She beckons Levi over with a huge smile and raises the Tupperware of cookies. Levi sits down beside her and Isabel pops open the lid. She lets Levi pick out one first, then selects one for herself.

 

Isabel takes a huge, hearty bite out of her cookie, then beams up at Levi, “Good, right?”

 

“Mm, yes,” Levi says, taking much smaller, slower bites to savor the cookie. Silence lapses between them while they enjoy the cookies. It only takes Isabel three more bites to finish hers off. After licking away the crumbs from the corners of her lips and her fingertips, she looks at Levi again.

 

Levi, who has paused not even halfway through his cookie, it hovering just before his lips. His eyes are fixed on the opposite wall. It makes Isabel stare. Because her big brother’s chocolate cookies are the best. She has never seen anyone stop and not devour his cookies in under a minute.

 

“Big Bro, are you okay?”

 

Levi blinks and turns his head in Isabel’s direction, gray eyes focused on her. Isabel likes that Levi looks at her directly, not simply brushing her off like adults seem to do.

 

“It’s nothing, Isabel.”

 

“If something’s wrong, you have to tell your future wife,” Isabel states resolutely.

 

The corner of Levi’s lips twitch up at that and a short, rough laugh escapes him. Isabel feels a little proud at that.

 

“Still on about that, hm?”

 

“Of course! I said I’m gonna marry you!” Isabel suddenly gasps. “Oh! Unless you like boys like Eren does! Ah, I know! If you like boys, then you can just marry Eren. And then you can just still be my real Big Bro!”

 

Levi coughs.

 

Isabel swivels her attention back on Levi suddenly.

 

“So do you like boys too? Or do you like girls?”

 

Levi remains silent. His eyes wander to the far wall again, though he is still turned in Isabel’s direction. His next words are full of pauses in between, as if figuring out how to best explain it to someone so young.

 

“Would it make sense to you, Isabel, someone who likes others without really thinking if they’re a boy or a girl. You simply know you like them as a person when you meet them.”

 

Isabel tilts her head to the side. She does not really get it. She cannot imagine it herself, but she mentally shrugs it off, because if that is what works for Levi, then that is fine with her. After all, he will still be super cool to her, just like Eren, whether he likes boys or girls, or both. Currently, he is still cooler than Eren in her book.

 

“So do you like Eren?”

  
Levi snorts. “You really are so frank, aren’t you?”

 

Isabel snickers.

 

“Well,” Levi exhales, “His cookies aren’t bad.”

 

“That’s like the only thing he _can_ do!” Isabel exclaims, sitting up taller in her seat. “Mom never lets him in the kitchen since the one time he burned the lentil soup she made him watch over! And one time he put too much soap in the dishwasher, there was soap and water everywhere! Even I can do it properly.”

 

When Isabel observes Levi’s face again, she notes the lighter look in his eyes. Amusement still pulls at the corner of his mouth.

 

“Speaking of…” Isabel huffs impatiently. “He’s taking _forever_ to iron your shirt! We’re gonna be late for the movie!”

 

“He’s ironing my shirt?” Levi says, his voice breaking his silent spell in Isabel’s ramblings.

 

“Yeah. He never irons. Mom always does it for him.”

 

“Hmm… Is that so…” Levi is looking away again, but his eyes are not distant. He looks to be wordlessly mulling over something in his head. He finishes his cookie in silence.

 

“If we miss this movie, then we can’t watch the later one. It’ll be too late for when Mom picks me up,” Isabel pouts.

 

Levi stands. “Well why don’t we go check on your brother, then.”

 

“Okay!” Isabel pops up. She darts to the front door, Levi just on her heels.

 

Isabel shoves her feet into her shoes, not even bothering to untie them and re-lace them, even if the mismatched light blue and pink laces are getting to that point where they are getting a little loose and need to be done again. She does bend down to tug at one of the loops of the blue ones since the end had gotten long. Then, she is popping back up and yanks the door open.

 

And there, at the doorstep, is her brother, hand awkwardly hanging in the air, poised to knock.

 

“Uh…” Eren begins, eyes wide.

 

“Yay! Are we going now?!” Isabel demands, jumping forward and head-butting into Eren’s stomach, roughly nuzzling into him. Eren places one hand on her shoulder, another hand on the top of her head to tousle her hair like he always does.

 

“Where’s my shirt?” Levi blurts out from behind her.

 

Isabel pushes her face away from Eren’s stomach, putting some space between them. She looks back and forth between the two.

 

Eren lifts the hand from atop Isabel’s head to rub at the back of his neck. He must be embarrassed, Isabel thinks, and sure enough, a light dusting of pink blooms on Eren’s cheeks.

 

“O-Oh, so you heard…” Eren trails off. He bites his bottom lip.

 

There is a certain clarity to Levi’s eyes now; a sort of focus, similar to the one that Isabel had noticed earlier, but strengthening. As if testing, waiting.

 

“My supposed future wife informed me,” Levi says. “But I wouldn’t want her to become unhappy by making the both of you late for your movie date.”

 

Eren coughs? Laughs? Isabel is not sure, or it could have been somewhere between the two, in reaction to Levi’s words.

 

“I’ll… Come over after?” Eren asks, the end of his sentence lilting up hopefully.

 

Levi nods and Eren’s face brightens up immediately.

 

“Okay. Great! That’s great!” Eren says, sounding both happy and even a little relieved. “I’ll see you later today then! Don’t wanna keep this princess waiting.”

 

Isabel scoffs at Eren. “ _Princess_? Please, Bro, I’m a queen!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 months have passed since the last chapter... How did that happen so fast. I'm sorry if this chapter feels rough. It feels rough to me, especially in comparison to every thing else I put out. But I really needed to get this out of the way so I can move on to the next part. Plus, it's been a long wait.
> 
> It was a shorter update, I know. I did want to have the chance to explore things through Isabel's point of view and I also needed some kind of transition between the last chapter and whatever happens next. Our two favorite losers will have to figure things out soon.


	7. Eren & Levi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s not nothing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love reading all of your comments. In fact, I got inspiration for a part of this chapter because of some of your guys' ideas of what would happen. I ended up incorporating it. Those of you will know when you read the chapter. Enjoy!

The faint scent of chocolate chip cookies and the sight of empty glasses with chocolate milk stains are the only lingering reminders that Isabel had been here but a few hours ago. Eren surveys his living room, absently trying to pat down his bed head. He had not bothered to deal with in the morning, seeing as they had only gone to the movies. After the movie, their Mom had met them at the theater to pick Isabel up. Isabel could hardly contain her excitement about the dinosaurs and kept saying how awesome it would be to have a pet velociraptor.

 

Eren’s shoulders slump at the thought that tomorrow is already Monday. He adores his little sister and he always enjoyed her visits, but like a storm that blows through, after she is gone, he is tired. He does not even want to bother picking up the papers and books scattered on the floor (reminders of homework he did not even touch), or the crumb-covered plates and empty potato chip bags strewn across the coffee table. He is sort of thankful he had told Levi he would go over to his place to return the shirt, and not the other way around. He can just imagine Levi’s face at the mess.

 

Speaking of said neighbor and his shirt, Eren digs his phone out of his back jeans pocket to check the time. He should head over to Levi’s soon. Eren shoots Levi a short text that he is back in his place and will come over in a few minutes.

 

The message is delivered just as Eren turns into his bedroom. He pockets his phone once more and scans his room, it too, in its perpetual mess. This time, there is the additional mountain of clean laundry taking up half his bed. If he is lucky, he will put it away in one week. He has a bad habit of never folding his clothes, but keeping them on one side of the bed while he sleeps on the unoccupied side. And he will still complain how some of his shirts get wrinkled.

 

Eren walks over to his desk chair, where he had folded bath towels and placed them on the seat with Levi’s ironed shirt on top. However, instead of finding them neatly folded up as he left them, he finds the shirts and towels sprawled out and an extra layer of cat on top.

 

Colossal perks up at Eren, mewing in greeting.

 

“Agh, Coco!” Eren groans, “That’s Levi’s shirt! You got it all wrinkly! Now I’ll have to iron it again!”

 

“Mrrr?”

 

Eren sighs and reaches down to tug at one end of Levi’s shirt. Colossal shifts a little bit, but does not lift himself up. He sniffs at Eren’s hand then swats at it.

 

“Coco, come on,” Eren coaxes, but of course, the cat has to make things difficult, “Oh no, you better _not_ sink those claws in and destroy another of his shirts! Let go! You can’t keep Levi’s shirt!”

 

After another forceful tug, Eren yanks the shirt out from under Colossal. Colossal makes a noise as if offended, turns about in a circle, and settles back on the towels, back to Eren.

 

“What a cat,” Eren says. He snaps the shirt out to examine it. There are a few wrinkles now. He had wanted to present it to Levi perfectly ironed and folded too. Guess it cannot be helped, he decides with a shrug. He will iron it again.

 

Eren tosses Levi’s shirt onto his shoulder, pleased when he still catches a whiff of the fresh laundry soap scent when it flutters down. He goes to dig out the iron and ironing board from his closet.

 

He drags the ironing board out to the living room, rather than trying to clear floor space in his room for it again like he had yesterday. The ironing board is an old thing his mom had given him when he first moved into the apartment and it creaks and protests while he drags it out to the living room. The living room is brightly lit from the afternoon light filtering in. It is a clear blue day, so Eren opens the sliding doors completely. There is barely even a breeze, but he has always liked letting fresh air flow in.

 

Eren plugs in the iron to heat up, and then sets up the ironing board facing the sliding doors. He fluffs out Levi’s shirt and lays it out, smoothing out any creases so he can iron it as smoothly as possible.

 

He has never particularly liked ironing, much like he has never had the patience to put away his laundry, but somehow, this is peaceful. It makes him contemplative and his mind starts wandering away.

 

It is a single, white button-up shirt, and he recalls it on Levi, sleeves rolled up casually while he moves about in his kitchen. The ever-neat Levi, carefully measuring out flour and sugar, keeping himself so neat even then, barely a dusting of the white powder on his fingertips.

 

Eren changes the shirt’s angle to iron out one shoulder properly. As he glides the iron down the arm, steam curling up, his thoughts run astray again.

 

He remembers Levi’s arms when he had taken his shirt off, how toned and firm they looked. Warmth creeps into Eren’s cheeks. He hopes it had not been obvious how much he had been admiring Levi’s biceps. He wonders what it would be like to press his hands to those biceps, or to have them wrapped around him – Eren shakes his head, feeling embarrassed at such thoughts.

 

But his mind slips all too easily to thoughts of Levi again. He thinks of Levi this morning, when Eren had gone to fetch Isabel. He had hesitated outside Levi’s door, and he was pretty sure he looked like a creeper when the door suddenly swung open and the two of them found him there. He remembers Levi’s arms crossed over his chest, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, the cloth following the slopes of his arms and hugging the planes of his chest quite nicely.

 

 _“Where’s my shirt?”_ Levi had demanded. And there had been a clarity to Levi’s eyes -- something bright and honing in on Eren.

 

Bright. Eren’s gaze trails up and out the sliding door, drinking in the bright blue sky. There is not a cloud in sight. He inhales deeply, taking in the warm afternoon air… the light moisture in the air from the iron’s steam… the smell of something burning…

 

Something… Burning…?

 

Eren’s eyes widen and he looks down, gasping and picking up the iron that he had been pressing down to the shirt a little too long.

 

There is a crispy brown triangle that matches the shape of the underside of the iron on Levi’s shirt.

 

“Oh, fuck!” Eren howls, setting the iron aside safely, but perhaps banging it down a little too harshly. He scrambles over to unplug the iron, rushes back and snatches up the shirt, fluffing it out, but that big brown burnt spot is still there. He rubs at it, hisses because the cloth is still too warm against his thumb.

 

“Shit! Shit, goddamnit, no!” Eren crows, because why can he not do something so goddamn simple?!

 

 _Ding dong_.

 

Fucking hell.

 

\--

 

_just got back from the movies. will be down soon :)_

 

Levi checks the timestamp.

 

That had been twenty minutes ago. Okay, so Eren had come back from the movies. Maybe he needed to take a piss. Levi lets another ten minutes pass. He grunts in impatience. Or maybe Eren had to take a dump. Another two minutes pass. Okay, that is more than enough time to take a shit, Levi concludes.

 

Levi taps his foot impatiently from where he is seated on the couch. He stares at his phone, rereads the message, shuts off the screen – The same thing he has been doing every five minutes for the past thirty-two minutes.

 

Why the hell is he so impatient?

 

_“I’ll… Come over after?”_

 

That is what Eren had said before he had left with Isabel for the movies. Then he had texted Levi when he got back to his apartment. Eren is keeping his word. Levi is being impatient for no reason… Right?

 

He went jogging soon after Eren and Isabel left, made sure to give himself ample time to shower, then changed into a plain white t-shirt and a light pair of gray sweats since it had warmed up in the afternoon. Then, to kill time, he wiped down his kitchen, made sure the kettle and his favorite cups were clean, and checked his tea stash.

 

He cleared the already tidy living room just because, and in the process found the Tupperware of chocolate chip cookies from Isabel. He took them out and plated them nicely, then set them on the coffee table. He had gone back to the kitchen to look at his tea leaves again, and plucked out a Keemun tin to pair with the cookies. Eren’s text had arrived then.

 

And now, Levi is restless.

 

He gets up. What is taking Eren anyway?

 

The kettle had already whistled. He should go see what the hell is keeping Eren. It would be bad to let the water go cold.

 

When Levi gets to Eren’s door, he knows the other is home because he can hear the other making a racket, even through the closed door. There is the telltale sound of something being slammed down, followed by a, “Shit! Shit, goddamnit, no!”

 

Levi presses the doorbell.

_Ding dong_.

 

Silence for a second, and then another banging noise, a frustrated groan, followed by what sounded like a litany of, “shit, shit, oh no!” followed by a, “fuck my life!”

 

Levi presses the doorbell again and then raps his knuckles on the door.

 

 _Thump thump thump thump_ , comes the thundering of Eren’s feet, and then the door is wrenched open, and there is Eren, mouth hanging open and eyes frantic, and he gasps out, “Levi!”

 

“Oi, are you going to come over or not?” Levi demands.

 

“Oh, fuck me!” Eren groans and throws up his hands, which Levi notices are clutching his white button-up shirt. And then Eren seems to remember he is holding it and looks down at it, then up at Levi, then back down at it again. This only serves to draw Levi’s eyes to the glaringly obvious brown burn on it.

 

“Ere—“ Levi begins.

 

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Levi!” Eren bemoans. “I burned your shirt, like god, I can’t do something as simple as ironing a shirt?! I wanted to give it back to you all nice and ironed and folded, but then I had to do it again because of Coco…”

 

Levi wonders what the Puss has to do anything with it as Eren continues babbling.

 

“Eren,” Levi tries again to butt in, to soothe the agitated young man in front of him, “It’s fine. It’s just a shirt…”

 

“But it’s your shirt, and I—“

 

Levi huffs, bites the inside of his lip, fighting back his earlier impatience.

 

“As I said, it’s just a shirt. You repaired one of my shirts before—“

 

“I knooow, and now I’ve ruined another one!” Eren bemoans.

 

“—No, that’s not what I mean. You can’t do anything about this one, don’t worry about it.”

 

“But—“

 

“At least you didn’t burn yourself.”

 

“But—“

 

“Really, Eren, it’s fine. I can buy another shirt. It’s nothing—“

 

“It’s not _nothing_!” Eren says, voice rising abruptly, adamantly. His stubbornness flashes in his eyes.

 

Levi snaps his jaw shut.

 

 

_“It was probably nothing, so you can forget about it!”_

 

_“Nothing… Nothing happened last night.”_

 

 

Levi does not know what this is – But in that moment, something rears up in him, and he is stepping forward with clenched fists - One step forward onto Eren’s doorstep, another into the foyer. Eren, taken aback, takes a step back with every two of Levi’s.

 

“ _Nothing_?” Levi says, the word hissing out barely above a whisper. His eyes have narrowed, and he is invading Eren’s space now. Eren blinks rapidly, confused, green eyes so wide, shoulders hunching up at Levi’s sudden proximity.

 

“ _Nothing_?” Levi repeats and his hand darts out, fingers fisting the front of Eren’s shirt. “ _It’s not nothing_ , you say.”

 

“L-Levi?”

 

“It’s _not nothing_ , then, that I worry about which of my teas would go with your chocolate chip cookies while waiting for you-“

 

“ _What_?”

 

“-It’s _not nothing_ that you’re ironing my shirt when you don’t have to, when your sister tells me that you never iron anything ever. It’s _not nothing_ when I start to notice how much quieter it is without you taking up my living room with all your study books and how loudly you tap at your keyboard like you’re going to destroy your essays. It’s _not nothing_ , when I wonder if you’re eating junk for dinner again—“

 

“Levi!” Eren squirms against his fist, and his eyes are flashing, still confused, but getting frustrated.

 

“It’s _not nothing_ when you’re inebriated enough to hug me, and it really should be nothing because it’s just a _goddamn hug_ , like we’re not in fucking high school, it should be _not nothing_ but it doesn’t _feel_ like _nothing_!”

 

And Levi cuts off with a gasp, to breathe after his rant – To breathe and realize everything that he has blurted out.

 

He releases Eren’s shirt, his hand dropping lifelessly by his side. His chest suddenly feels tight. He focuses back on Eren’s face. Eren is utterly silent, unblinkingly gazing down at Levi. Neither says a thing. Then, color rises in Eren’s face, pink spreading across his cheeks and even to his ears.

 

Eren’s fingers finally unravel from around Levi’s white button-up, which he had still been holding. He drops it. Its gentle fluttering detracts Levi’s gaze to it, but then Eren throws his other arm around Levi’s shoulders, jerking him forward and pulling them chest-to-chest.

 

“The hell are you doing?!” Levi demands, automatically pushing against Eren’s chest. Eren only tightens his hold. Eren uses his other free hand to snatch up one of Levi’s own.

 

“Nothing,” Eren breathes out, fluttering the top of Levi’s hair.

 

“Why you little smartass,” Levi grits out, ready to yank his hand back, but Eren squeezes down on his fingers. He tugs Levi’s hand forward, squeezing it between his own. He crushes Levi’s palm flat against his chest.

 

“Nothing,” Eren repeats, “If this is what _nothing_ feels like…”

 

 _Nothing_ is Eren’s heart palpitating wildly, hammering so fast against Levi’s palm.

 

Levi inhales sharply. His tensed arm finally eases up, and he relaxes his hand against Eren’s heart. Slowly, ever so slowly, he looks up to meet Eren’s eyes. Green eyes, beneath coy, lowered lashes, search Levi’s face.

 

Levi stares back unflinchingly. “You really don’t remember anything from when you were drunk, do you?”

 

“Hm, no,” Eren hums, voice soft. “I really don’t remember anything.”

 

Levi’s eyes narrow at the change in Eren’s expression. Something glints in Eren’s eyes.

 

“So,” Eren takes a deep, steadying breath. “Why don’t you refresh my memory?”

 

 _How bold_ , Levi thinks. He can see the challenge in Eren’s eyes, waiting, perhaps even a little impatiently.

 

Levi recalls that night. He remembers being this close to Eren. He remembers the other admitting to snooping in his bathroom to figure out the soap he uses. Just because of that, Levi leans in and sniffs, and recognizes the lemon scent on Eren’s skin. He remembers everything: Eren’s hands on his nape, fingers caressing up along his undercut. Levi pillows one of his cheeks against Eren’s chest, relaxing against him, as he had done before. He soaks in Eren’s warmth, breathes him in. Something strikes within Levi, lighting up and burning deep in the pit of his stomach.  

 

“Nothing happened,” Levi says with emphasis and he lifts a hand to ghost over the back of Eren’s neck. Eren’s breath hitches and he stiffens, then relaxes against Levi. Levi gets braver, inches up the tiniest bit more, fingers delving into Eren’s short locks -- Messy, adorable in its bed head state, and much softer than he imagined. He rakes his fingers through Eren’s hair, higher, enough for him to rub his thumb in circles at a spot just behind Eren’s ear.

 

“It was nothing,” Levi repeats, settling his other hand on Eren’s waist. He continues to run his fingers through Eren’s hair, alternating with rubbing his thumb behind his ear, and noting how Eren hums the sweetest little sound when his fingers skim over his nape. Levi sighs and lets himself go, slumping forward into Eren, pressed chest to chest. He drops his hand down from Eren’s head and settles his arms to curl around Eren’s waist. Eren shifts, seemingly hesitant, nervous, until finally he too wraps his arms around Levi’s waist.

 

“ _Nothing_ sure is nice,” Eren puffs against the top of Levi’s head. Levi snorts, but buries his nose further into the other’s chest. Eren nuzzles his nose into Levi’s hair.

 

Levi does not know how long he is there in Eren's arms. It is quiet and his mind is not racing with a million thoughts, nor is there loud obnoxious music like last time. His mind is blank, but his body is filled with warmth surrounded by Eren like this.

 

There is a sudden gasp above him, and then Eren is grabbing Levi's shoulders and pushing them apart.

 

Eren’s eyes are wide, wild, and darting back and forth across Levi’s face.

 

“Did I kiss you?!”

 

Levi opens his mouth, instantly wanting to retort, ‘you wish.’ But he pauses, thinks about it, and figures he can let Eren can suffer a bit.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

 

Eren whines Levi's name, dragging it out in complaint and wrestles the older man back into his arms. Levi ducks his head under Eren's chin, hiding his face, and a small smile, but unable to hold back a small chuckle. He would not mind doing a whole lot more of nothing with Eren from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to leave you all on fluffy, happy note because I will put this story on hiatus for a few months (until January, probably) and this worked out well, considering I leave off where it feels like I've ended an arc in the story. But I still have some ideas floating for this universe. :) I seriously cannot say enough thank you's for how sweet and supporting you all are! ♥♥


	8. And a Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two nerds catch up after the holidays. Some cuddling and maybe more involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of a lot more of nothing and something... between these two. ;)

If you were to ask Levi what word best describes his holidays, it would be “quiet.” Quiet, like it was every year. Christmas and New Year’s were never a big deal with his family – if one could call them a family anyway. For them, it was simply another day of the year passing.

 

Not that he minds. No, Levi does not mind at all, as he sinks into his couch with a book in hand, all wrapped up in a giant blanket. Just as he cracks open the book, his phone chirps.

 

Levi groans. He shuffles his arms about under his blanket fortress, searching out his phone as the text tone goes off once more. He digs it out from between his thigh and the couch seam, just as it alerts him for the third time. A spew of text notifications go down the screen.

 

 

 

> **Eren** _1m ago_
> 
> CAN I COME OVER

 

 

> **Eren** _1m ago_
> 
> LET’S MARATHON ALL THE OLD STAR WARS

 

 

> **Eren** _just now_
> 
> pls? and happy new year!!!

 

 

Levi swipes his phone screen to reply to Eren.

 

 

 

> **Levi**
> 
> We haven’t talked since you left to go home for Christmas and now you’re telling me you’re coming over. When did you even get back?

 

 

To be more specific, he basically has not seen Eren since that big outburst of a confession happened between them. The next thing they knew, Eren was in a flurry to pack up and head home to spend his winter vacation with his family, catloaf included. Eren said his family, especially his mom and Iz, had insisted that they missed the “other brother." It was easier on Eren to bring Colossal home than have someone else watch over him for nearly two weeks anyway.

 

 

 

> **Eren**
> 
> that was a cute pic i sent u during xmas tho. right? ;)

 

 

Levi does not reply to that. He does not tell Eren that he has said photos saved on his phone.

 

_Levi had received a few texts from Eren on Christmas Eve, something he was not expecting, even if he was getting a few holiday greetings from coworkers and his friends from back in college. He had been wiping down the kitchen counter when he got Eren’s text._

 

> **_Eren_ ** _9:52 p.m._
> 
> _help me choose which outfit_

_Levi’s towel slipped under his grip, jerking him forward. He stared at his phone screen, perplexed, and would he daresay… flustered? His screen warned him that Eren had sent a photo, quickly followed by another._

_Levi swallowed; his thumb hovered over the screen, hesitating. He shook his head and opened the text messages._

_There were two photos: both were of Eren clutching Colossal to his chest with one arm, the other extended above him to take the shot. He was wearing a blinding red knit sweater with a giant reindeer face down the front. In the first photo, Colossal was clad in his own little sweater with a hoodie that sports floppy reindeer antlers. In the second photo, the cat was in a sweater with a Christmas tree on the back, poms-poms sticking out to represent the Christmas balls._

 

> **_Eren_ ** _9:56 p.m._
> 
> _Help???? I couldn’t decide so i bought him both sweaters_

_‘They’re both eyesores,’ Levi had hastily typed back, even as he chewed his bottom lip._

 

 

The phone chiming again jolts Levi out of the memory and he focuses on Eren’s texts one more.

 

 

> **Eren**
> 
> oh and i got back last night

 

 

> **Levi**
> 
> Welcome back and happy New Year as well.

 

 

> **Eren**
> 
> thanks. so anyway!!!! you haven’t seen the force awakens yet have u???

 

 

> **Levi**
> 
> No. You?

 

 

> **Eren**
> 
> Three times – once with the family, again with iz, and then with my best friend

 

Before Levi could reply, Eren beats him to it.

 

 

> **Eren**
> 
> and the 4th time will be with you. marathon starts now!!!

 

\--

 

And thus, the pair find themselves bundled up together on Levi’s living room couch, tucked under a giant blanket. Eren is snuggled up so tightly against the older man, as if the couch was made to seat only one person instead of two people. Eren had brought Colossal along since the movie marathon would be hours long, though the cat is nowhere in sight. He is surely poking around Levi’s apartment, wandering around and rubbing himself on everything like he owns the place.

 

Two cups sit on the coffee table before them, long since gone cold, one with hot cocoa stains on the rim. Just as the Ewoks on screen starts cheering, Eren straightens up from the slouched position he had curled himself into. It was not the most comfortable position, but he did it just so he could rest his cheek against Levi’s shoulder. He yawns, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. He peeks at Levi through the corner of his eyes, but the other man has not moved, eyes still affixed on the screen in front of them.

 

Eren’s gaze traces the lines of Levi’s face, from the sharp corner of his eyes to his angled jaw line, follows the slope of his neck that disappears into the collar of a white sweatshirt. Eren briefly pouts at the baggy sweater and how it bunches at Levi’s waistline and at his wrists. Unfair, Eren thinks, recalling the fit body he had glimpsed before. The sweatshirt does Levi no justice.

 

The credits start rolling down the screen and finally, Levi looks up. He tilts his head at Eren, capturing his stare.

 

“What is it?” Levi asks.

 

Eren hunches his shoulders, taken aback for a second. He squirms and scratches at the back of his head, searching out what exactly to say.

 

“I guess I was just thinking it was nice to spend this time with you, since I didn’t see you on Christmas or New Year’s. How were your holidays, anyway?”

 

Levi shrugs. “I never do much. I woke up early to watch the sunrise, as my half-sister and I used to do as children.”

 

“Ah, that’s pretty cool. Seeing the first sunrise of the new year like that…” Eren smiles at the thought. “Maybe I should do that with Iz sometime.”

 

“What’d you do?” Levi politely continues the conversation.

 

“Oh, the same I do every year. My best friend Armin and I have this tradition of going to the beach and watching the fireworks show. You know, the one they do at Sina Beach, with the fireworks that go off over the water? I should take you one year…”

 

Levi shakes his head. “If it’s you and your friend’s tradition, I don’t want to intrude.”

 

Eren shakes his head, leaning forward, insisting, “But I do want to celebrate the holidays with you! Next time, anyway… We’ll have the chance this year…” Eren catches his bottom lip between his teeth. His face warms at the implication of his own words: that he and Levi would be together even at the end of this year. Levi too, appears to be affected by those words, for he lowers his gaze.

 

“I want to be able to enjoy the holidays with my—with you…” Eren trails off.

 

_What exactly is their relationship, anyway?_ Sure, Levi had confessed to him, and it had been a whirlwind in Eren’s face before he took it head-on, like the bull-headed little shit he could be. Whether to call Levi his ‘boyfriend’ or not, Eren is not sure yet. One thing is for certain though, and that is his feelings for him. Eren definitely likes him (he still wonders when that started, versus when he actually realized it). And to hell with labels, because what do they matter anyway.

 

“Next year let’s definitely do something,” Eren says with a firmer voice. A smile pulls up at his lips and Levi is looking at him again. “I also want to be able to give you something. A nice gift, not just leftovers of my mom’s Christmas cake.”

 

“Well,” Levi pauses to nods his head in the direction of the plates next to the mugs on the coffee table. They are scraped clean except for some stray crumbs and powdered sugar. “Your mother’s cake was excellent, so I’m not complaining there. You must've taken after her baking skills.”

 

Eren purses his lips and then huffs impatiently, “No, I want to be able to give you a present on Christmas! And your birthday – Ah, when is your birthday anyway?”

 

Levi darts his gaze away a little too quickly at those words, making all too obvious he is avoiding Eren.

 

Eren blinks and then arches a brow, repeating, “…When is it, Levi?”

 

Levi’s brows crinkle together and his jaw sets stubbornly.

 

“Come on, Levi! How can you not wanna tell me your birthday? What, is it like on Valentine’s Day or–?”

 

“No. It’s… It’s on Christmas…” Levi mutters that last part out, all too softly and the words rushing together, that Eren almost misses it.

 

“What?” Eren blurts out, bouncing on the couch and encroaches into Levi’s space even more. He latches onto Levi’s arm with both hands. “What?! It’s on Christmas, and you never even mentioned it, not even when I texted you on that day?!”

 

Levi clicks his tongue, “See, I don’t like to make a big deal out of it, and no one bothered when we were growing up anyway—“

 

“But it does matter,” Eren whispers because of there closer proximity, and despite his low voice, there is an intensity deep in his tone. “The day you were born is important—“ Eren, seeing how Levi is frozen in place, scrambles for something to soften his words, “I mean, what if it wasn’t you, but someone else who lived in the apartment below me.”

 

Levi stares at him, eyes wider than they usually are.

 

Eren releases a weak, breathy laugh, adding in “Like what if they hated cats?”

 

That does not break the tension, and Levi is still searching Eren’s eyes. Eren wonders, _what is it exactly that he is looking for?_

 

Eren squeezes his hands on Levi’s arms. He feels Levi stiffen at that, the muscles under his palms tensing up.

 

“Oh,” Eren breathes out, slackens his grip, enough so that his hands are just barely resting on the worn sleeves of Levi’s sweatshirt. “Sorry about that, I got a little too worked up there…”

 

Levi shakes his head. “No. It’s fine—You’re fine—It’s you, so it’s fine,” He pauses to inhale, then slowly exhales, “I’m not used to people being in such close proximity to me. To be honest, I’m used to people not being able to tolerate my company for that long, let alone be this close to me physically.”

 

Eren lips part as it dawns on him. He sees Levi’s jaw muscle twitch, notes how the older man swallows, and once more averts his eyes.

 

Eren loosens his grip a little more. He drops one hand down to the couch, while the other still lingers at Levi’s elbow. He plucks at Levi’s sleeve, playing with the material between forefinger and thumb.

 

Silence lapses between them.

 

“Thanks,” Eren says, for lack of better response after a minute. “Thanks for telling me that.” _Thanks_ , he wants to express to Levi, for opening up a side of himself to Eren he has not displayed before. For his willingness to reveal what could be, Eren supposes, is one of his insecurities.

 

“Uh,” Eren continues, wanting to fill in the silence, and the next words tumble out of his mouth before he can stop it, “You have nice arms.”

 

Levi responds all too quickly, “Thanks, you too,” An awkward beat of a moment passes, “Ah, I mean…”

 

They stare at each other. Levi’s brows are furrowed in confusion.

 

Eren sighs then groans, “Levi, you have _really_ nice arms and to be honest, this whole time I’ve wanted to put my hand on top of yours, but also wrap my hands around your arm, especially those biceps of yours. Damnit, I’m rambling.”

 

Levi arches a brow. “…Through all three movies?”

 

Eren, though his face is gradually growing pinker, quips back cheekily, “Have you seen your biceps? They’re bicep goals.” He bites his lip, then, as if testing the waters, closes his fingers at Levi’s elbow a little tighter. He presses his thumb into the crease there. When Levi does not withdraw, he takes that as a good sign.

 

Levi still has not moved, but he has not stopped Eren yet either; instead, his eyes continue to bore into the younger man’s. Was he waiting? Was it a challenge? Eren ghosts the knuckle of his forefinger up Levi’s arm, feather-light so he can barely make out the slope of muscles through the cloth. Only when he reaches the neckline of Levi’s sweater does he stop.

 

Eren swallows, pauses for a split second, then splays his hand open and runs a quick but bold path straight down Levi’s shoulder, down the full length of his arm, and stops with his palm atop the back of Levi’s hand. His fingertips twitch, but he waits.

 

“This is okay?” Eren asks softly. He is aware of how much of a physical person he is, whether it is getting in a person’s face when he gets pissed off, or playfully head-butting his best friend (a habit since they were small). He vaguely wonders if he has ever made Levi uncomfortable when he invaded his space before. Eren has been told that he tends to stand or sit too close to people, without really noticing.

 

He wants to know if this okay. He wants Levi to know it is okay if he wants to take it slow. That he is okay with easing them into being more comfortable with each other.

 

Levi’s hand curls into a fist beneath Eren’s hold, then uncurls, doing this twice. Eren feels one of Levi’s fingers loop over his pinky, gently resting over it.

 

“Okay,” Levi says. Just one word. It is enough. Eren has almost forgotten what he asked in the first place. Levi darts his tongue out to lick his lips nervously, and Eren’s gaze is naturally drawn to that. _Shoot, was that too obvious?_ His ears feel hot and surely they are turning red. Eren gulps and flicks his attention back to Levi’s eyes.

 

He finds Levi’s eyes are drawn down as well. Eren parts his lips and breathes out shakily and Levi’s own lips part ever so slightly too, as if naturally responding.

 

Damn, he really wants to kiss him.

 

Eren feels the warmth from his ears and cheeks spread, filtering into his chest. His heart palpitates a little faster, making his breath flutter. The blanket is starting to feel hot around him, nearly suffocating.

 

“So, Levi, can I give you a late birthday slash Christmas present?”

 

The corner of Levi’s mouth twitches. “You’re a college student, you don’t need to be spending your money on me.”

 

Eren releases a small laugh, low and raspy, “No, I don’t mean a present like that…” He swallows. He begins to rub his thumb in circles over the back of Levi’s hand.

 

Carefully, achingly slowly, Eren turns on the couch to face Levi more. He is feeling hesitant and brave all at the same time, and those emotions are balled up in his chest, rolling around, making a fuzzy feeling wash all over him. His stomach feels tight, like it is all knotted up.

 

Eren looms forward, wets his lips once more, silently imploring Levi. And Levi leans closer, head tilting to the side minutely, black lashes fluttering over his gray eyes, as his attention hones in on Eren’s mouth.

 

With a final shuddering inhale, Eren decides to be the one to take the plunge. He is the one giving a gift after all. Their noses bump, and they exhale through their noses in amusement, pull back a bit, and this time Eren angles his head a bit more when he comes back in.

 

The cool touch of Levi’s bottom lip against the seam of his mouth makes Eren emit a little noise of happiness. Eren opens his mouth a little more, wanting to coax Levi in, curious to taste him. He draws Levi’s bottom lip between his own, provoking a little hum from the other man at the action. Something nudges his ankle and Eren wants to smile. In the back of his mind, he thinks that Levi’s socks must be extra soft.

 

_Levi_ , he wants to say, but only a little groan escapes Eren instead, and his eyes begin to droop shut—

 

And then something sharp is sinking in – teeth?! Wait, is that teeth digging into his foot?!

 

Eren yelps, jerking back. He knocks his forehead against Levi’s own, making the other hiss and jolt back as well.

 

And there, seated at Eren’s feet, is Colossal. His tail swishes impatiently along the carpeted floor.

 

“Coco, you devious little--!” Eren gripes. He swoops down on the cat, bundling the plump creature into his arms. The cat yowls in protest, wiggles, but still bumps his head affectionately into Eren’s palm.

 

It figures that when they were having a moment, Coco had to interrupt! And of course, being the catloaf that he is, he squirms out of Eren's arm and plops himself down into the minimal space between the pair, tucking his legs in.

 

Eren peeks at Levi. Levi is staring down at the cat, and Eren is not sure how to read his face. Red dusts his cheeks and Eren decides that is a rare look on Levi’s face that he definitely wants to see more of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /waits for all of you guys to yell at me
> 
> Belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and anything else you celebrate! :P Hope 2016 has been treating you all well so far.

**Author's Note:**

> Doodles and WIPs can be found on my art/writing tumblr: ryuusea, under the [neighbors au](http://ryuusea.tumblr.com/tagged/neighbors%20au) tag!


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